


Back East

by Jinxter



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Changes To Canon Familial Links, E rating only for one or two chapters, F/F, Genderqueer Character, Implied/Referenced Previous Hetero Relationships, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Mentions Of Minor Character Suicide, Mentions of Minor Character Accidental Deaths (Vehicular and Equestrian), Mentions of Prior Assault, Mentions of past drug abuse, Minor Violence, No Magic No Curse, Slow Burn, Stalking, and pinecone's one-sided affection for Regina, real world AU, so don't get too excited, unfavourable mention of the pinecone in context of Marian's ex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-30
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-02-27 13:15:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 52
Words: 131,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2694446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jinxter/pseuds/Jinxter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Emma moved back to the East Coast for a reason, she didn't expect to find so many reasons to stay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya. I don't normally post WIPs because of the long and complicated plot lines that I write in my bigger stories and my haphazard style of writing means I edit details and re-write portions too often to post until they're all finished. This one however seems to be flowing easily in chapter order, and is more character based than plot so I think it'll work to be posted in chapters while I write. Characters, relationships and tags will change along the way. 
> 
> Your feedback and constructive criticism is appreciated!

She depressed the heavy clutch and dropped into neutral as the bug approached the automatic roller door at the top of the ramp. Rolling to a stop next to the swipe machine, she fumbled the card from the pocked on the sun visor and dropped it as she reached out the open window.

“Shit!” She exclaimed with an exasperated sigh, and tugged on the hand brake and released her seat belt. As she opened the door and her fingers touched the edge of the swipe card on the pavement, the sound of a car horn startled her, and she dropped the card again. She looked up to see a black car behind her, half out on the street, blocking traffic waiting for her. The evening sun glared across the windscreen so she couldn't see the driver, but she nonetheless gave an apologetic smile and wave, then picked up the card and swiped. The roller door had opened by the time she was back in her seat with the brake released, and she descended into the underground carpark with the black coupe on her tail. 

It was notoriously hard to find a carpark in this apartment building, the parks were not assigned to the apartments, instead the swipe cards were validated with each lease renewal, but either the building manager was selling more access cards than there were carparks, or some tenants were using one card to bring multiple vehicles into the garage. It was a contentious issue, but with her job she really needed to have a car, and this building was nice and affordable, so she put up with it.

Today she was extra grateful to have a car, the last of her personal items having arrived from her ex-roommates in Portland. She had opted to collect them from FedEx directly, preferring that to waiting around at home for the delivery since their building didn't have a doorman. A day off work was a day's less pay, and though she earned a decent amount and saved responsibly, she liked to keep the money coming in. She had spent too many years with not enough food, not enough warm clothes, sometimes not even any shelter, that now she compulsively worked hard to ensure it would never happen again. She would never go without necessities again, if she could help it.

She spotted an empty bay in the first bank of parks, and grinned, flicking on her indicator. With the trunk of her bug being in the front, and without any power steering, she pulled forward of the park and wide, to get enough room to reverse park into it. She slung her arm over the passenger seat back and turned just in time to see the black coupe drive into the park behind her. “Son of a bitch!” She growled. She felt her hackles rising, but bit down on her anger when she saw a small boy hop out and mouth “Sorry” to her. She raised her hand, palm up, in a 'what can you do' motion and smiled at him, then put the car back into first and drove deeper into the garage.

The joke was on them though, as she rounded the corner and found another spare bay right next to the elevator. She laughed loudly. “In your face, asshole!” She chuckled, reversing into it in one smooth turn. The hood creaked as she opened it, and groaned as she slammed it back down after unloading the two boxes and the tube of rolled up canvas paintings. Stacking them, she heaved them up and stepped towards the elevator, where she saw the “Out Of Order” sign duct taped onto it.

Emma groaned again, just when things were starting to go her way today they take another step back. She used her foot to kick the door handle and push the staircase door open, and held it open with her back as she entered the chamber, filled with horrid fluorescent lighting and stale air. She made it up two flights to the ground floor when she heard the door open below her, and with the light scampering of sneakers combined with the clicking of heels she knew it was the black coupe pair. She quickened her pace.

That was a bad move, being the klutz that she was, because she tripped on the top stair of the next flight and dropped her packages to grab onto the railing to stop her self falling. The heavier box split open as it hit the ground, but it was the tube that made her curse. It flew forward, bounced off the railing and flew back behind her legs and rolled down the stairs. “Shit, shit, shit!”  
Recovering her balance and pushing the split box and the slightly crushed box out of the way of her oncoming neighbours, she turned and straightened her red leather jacket, more to compose herself than because it needed it. She began to retreat down to collect the miscreant tube when the brown-haired boy's face popped around the corner. He picked up the tube and smiled up at her. “It's okay, I've got it,” He looked at the address label. “Emma Swan, from apartment two-oh-five.” He grinned cheekily and clambered up towards her.

“Henry!” a woman called from below them, which Henry ignored.

“Thanks kid,” she said, tucking her long blonde hair behind her ears and picking up her packages again. “If you can stick it on top of these two would be great.” She had one hand over the split in the lower box in an attempt to hold the contents in, but it was bulging open now that the structural integrity had been lost.

“Whoa, you have lots of books in there!” The kid said, peering through the gaping seam. “It looks heavy. I'll carry this for you.”

They ascended the stairs, Emma taking them more cautiously this time, aware of the precarious position of the contents of her cargo. 

“What is all this stuff?” Henry asked her, looking over the tube he was carrying and the boxes in her arms. 

“It's the rest of my stuff, my friends shipped it to me from Oregon now that I'm settled here in Boston.” She replied. 

“When did you move to Boston?” He asked, jogging forward to open the door for her into the level two hallway. 

“Last month. Uhh thanks,” she said, about to pass through the door, “you can put it on the top now, so you can keep going up.”

“It's okay, I'll help you to your door. We just moved here too.” He held the door as she passed through and turned back to him.

“Kid, your mom...” she began.

“Mom, I'm on level two!” he shouted into the stairwell before letting go of the door. 

The pace of the heels clacking on the concrete stairs increased and a voice was heard as the door shut on it's automatic closer. “Henry, wait!”

The boy skipped ahead down the hall and stopped outside her apartment. She smiled and shook her head slightly, propping her foot against the door to support the boxes and free one hand to fossick for her keys in the pocket of her tight jeans. She got one finger into the ring and tugged as the stairwell door slammed open. “Henry Mills!”

Emma's boot slipped against the door and dropped, the cartons once again cascading to the floor. The box containing the books gave up it's battle and split wide, spreading books around her feet. A gorgeous brunette stepped into view, her bright red lips pursed tights, a vein in her forehead raised, but it was her eyes that stopped Emma's heart momentarily. Deep brown eyes bored into her, giving her the feeling the woman could see right into her, or right through her. She swallowed.

“Miss Swan, are you quite done using my son as free labour?” She asked with a scowl. 

Realising her mouth was hanging open, not sure if from intimidation or attraction, she forced it to form words. “Yeah, sorry. Thanks again, kid.” She knew he was crouched somewhere around her feet picking up her books, but she couldn't tear her eyes from the dark-haired beauty in the black suit. Or the button of her white shirt, open to bordering-on-indecent, straining and threatening to pop open at any moment. Both, she decided. Definitely both.

She fumbled with her keys feeling for the right one and opened her door, shoving the still-sealed box of clothing in along with the tube of canvasses. Henry had gathered up all the spilled books and stepped over the damaged box, disappearing into the apartment. “Hey, kid!” she called after him. She glanced across at his mother in time to see her roll her eyes. “Umm, come in?” she said, carefully collecting the split carton and carrying it inside and down the hall before dumping it on her kitchen bench. Looking behind her, she saw the boy's mother peer inside, step over the tube on the floor and strut towards her. Strut was the only word for it, her steps were long, deliberate, and her hips swayed alluringly with every one.

“This one looks really cool!” Henry exclaimed from the dining table, where the rest of her books were now sitting. He was holding up a large, leather-bound book with gold lettering across the front spelling out 'Once Upon A Time'.

Emma frowned. “Hmm, that's not one of mine.” He laid it on the table and opened it, flicking through the yellowed pages, looking at the drawings. 

“That's quite enough, Henry. Let's go. I am sure Miss Swan has things to do.” His mother commanded, the boy closed the book with a sigh and walked to his mother's side.

“Uhh, I guess so, yeah. Thank you for your help, Henry. You're a very gallant young man.” He beamed with the compliment, and threw his mother a look with an obvious deeper meaning between the two, her eyes narrowing slightly at him in reply. 

Emma followed when the pair turned to leave, the woman's hand on her son's shoulder, and she ushered him out the door in front of her. She turned back to look at Emma. “Also, Miss Swan, please refrain from using profanity around my son.”

“Mooooom!” Henry whined. “I'm in fifth grade, I know all the bad words.” 

Emma chuckled. “Not all of them, I bet.” She murmured, unfortunately loud enough for the kid's mother to hear, earning her a sharp glare. “Yes Ma'am. Sorry.” She stuck her head out just far enough to watch the pair walk back towards the stairwell, though she wasn't so much watching them as watching the haughty woman's rear. She closed the door and leaned her back against it, and took a deep breath. She realised she didn't even know the woman's name.


	2. Chapter 2

Seeing the corner of something sticking out of her mailbox, she dug her keys out of her pocket, her plastic bag of take-out swinging from her arm. She had cut a strip of masking tape and written SWAN on it, but it made it stand out against the other white name tags and she resolved to fix that this week. She jammed the key in and opened the small door, removing what turned out to only be advertising material. Still, at least it wasn't a bill.

Closing the flap and re-locking it, she pulled the key out, then glanced along the row of letterboxes. Finally she saw it. Mills, 5B. One of the penthouses. Of course. She sighed.

It had been four days since she met the Mills mother and son, and though she hadn't seen them again – not that she expected to, working the long hours that she had – she had been thinking about them. Something about the way she and the kid spoke had been comfortable, familiar, and of course the mother was smoking hot as well. Finally it was the weekend, she was home early for once, and the scent of greasy Chinese food from the restaurant around the corner was wafting from her bag.

She felt her phone vibrating in her pocket, she fished it out of her jeans and saw the smiling face of her best friend and former roommate on the screen.

“Hey bish!” she grinned into it, holding it to her ear with her shoulder as she adjusted her keys, take-out bag and junk mail in preparation to open the stairwell door. The elevator still hadn't been repaired, not that the climb bothered her, having only ever lived in walk-ups before now anyway.

_“Hey birdbrain, whatcha doing?” came her friend's teasing reply._

“Nothing much, just spending another wild Friday night at home with Netflix.” Her mouth watered at the thought of it, starving having skipped breakfast and eaten her lunch too early in the day to compensate.

“ _Girl, go find a local bar or something, make some friends there!”_

Emma smiled. “I have made a friend. Kind of. Someone in my building.” She pushed through the door with a spring in her step and stepped into the stairwell, immediately flinching at the strangled gasp and clattering of heels of the person she almost bumped into. Her phone clattered to the floor and she prayed the heavy duty case she had on it protected it and she hadn't broken the screen again. Sure, last time it broke in her jacket pocket but it absorbed some the impact of a punch to her ribs from a perp, but the expense was something she didn't need either time.

“Sorry!” She cried, reaching her hands out to steady the brunette. “Are you okay?”

“Unhand me, Miss Swan.” came the terse reply. The brunette brushed her hands over her jacket where Emma had touched her, then adjusted her collar and licked those full, red lips. “Watch where you're going.”

She bent down and picked up her phone from the ground, sighing in relief to see the screen intact and Mulan still smiling at her. _“Emma, are you there?”_ she could hear her asking. “I'm really sorry, Ms Mills.”

The older woman pursed her lips and continued up the stairs without another word. Emma followed, trying to watch where she walked and not the rear end of the brunette. Since when was she an ass-girl, she wondered. 

“Sorry, Mulan,” she said into the recovered phone. “Dropped my phone.”

_“I gathered that. Was that your friend? She didn't sound very friendly.”_

“No, well yeah but no.”

_“I don't follow.”_

Emma was silent.

_“Is she still around and you can't talk about her?”_

“Yep, exactly.”

_“Gotcha. Hey, what was that text book you asked Rory to keep an eye out for at the bookstore again?”_

“Case Studies on Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression in Social Work Practice. Why?”

_“No reason, I just wanted you to say something that sounded semi-intelligent and pretty gay in the presence of the woman you just crashed into, because by the way you sucked up to her and could barely string a handful of words together tells me you like her.”_

Emma groaned. “How do you even do that?” She reached her floor, the brunette a few steps ahead of her. She turned before the woman was out of sight. “Ms Mills?” The woman stopped and looked at her. “Say hi to Henry for me?” The woman narrowed her eyes, her lips parting slightly then closing again, and she gave a slight nod before proceeding up the stairs.

_“Who is Henry?”_

“Her son. I met them when I picked up the stuff you sent me. I dropped the canvasses down the stairs and Henry carried them up for me. Then my books spilled all over my floor and he helped me carry them inside.”

_“Wait, is it her or the son you like? How old is he?”_

“I dunno, nine or ten I guess? Hard to tell, he's little, but seems pretty smart.”

_“Ah, so again, which one do you like?”_

Emma laughed, and opened the door to her apartment. “I like the kid. He's... friendly. The same cannot be said for his mother, but she has her own appeal.” She dumped her mail and dinner on the counter and bent to unzip her boots.

“ _Is she banging?”_

“She's really intense. All serious and bitchy. I'm not sure if I want to give her a hug or go toe-to-toe with her.”

_“So she *is* hot.”_

Emma laughed again. “Yeah, she's gorgeous.” 

_Her friend's laughter echoed down the line. “I knew it.”_

“Hey Henry took a liking to one of the books you sent, but it's not one of mine.”

_“Oh? Which one?”_

“The big-ass fairytale one.” She grabbed a fork from the cutlery tray of the dish drying rack next to the sink and flopped on the couch with her carton of take-out.

_“That's not yours?”_

“Never seen it before in my life.”

_“That's weird. It was in your closet when we emptied your room out.”_

“Hmm. Well if it's not yours or Rory's I'll keep it. It does look pretty good.”

_“What are you eating? Rubber bands and glue?”_

Emma coughed and swallowed. “Umm, kung pow chicken?”

 _“Greasy, disgusting take-out kung pow chicken?”_ Emma grunted in the affirmative. _“Dammit, Emma. You spent so much time working on getting that rocking bod of yours, don't let it go just because I'm not there to keep you whipped into shape. I'm going to log into your Zombies, Run! and make sure you go for a run tomorrow. Don't make me come over there.”_

“Will it be that easy to get you to come visit? Just let myself go?”

 _“You wouldn't like me once I got there.”_ she teased.

“Fine, fine. You're right. It's just weird, you know, cooking for one. It was such a communal thing with us, we'd cook together, cook for each other.” She felt a lump rising in her throat. “I miss you guys.”

_“We miss you too, little bird. But you've gone back east for a reason, don't let the past hold you back.”_

“Now that I'm here, and alone, I'm not sure I want to stick to my plan, Mulan. I kinda just want to head back to Oregon and go back to how things were.”

_“You can do that. You know it's always an option. But if your plan wasn't important to you, you wouldn't have moved to the opposite side of the country to do it already. You owe it to yourself, you've thought about it for long enough.”_

“I'm just not sure I'm ready to find out. I have to be prepared, and I'm not.” She put the chicken on the coffee table, her appetite waning, and tucked her legs up under her. “I mean what if I find out that I'm the child of rape, or like, I was forcibly adopted out at birth because she was a serial child abuser or something.”

_“Some things you never truly can be, you just have to do them anyway. You already have all these worst case scenarios in your head, maybe even if it is bad, it'll still be better to have it narrowed down to just one? Who knows. You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for, Emma, and you have me, Rory, and all the gang. We'd all drop everything if you needed us, you know that right?”_

Emma wiped a tear. “Yeah.”

_“Say it like you mean it. I know you say 'yeah' but intend to never call on us to actually do that, but you can, and if you need to, you will. Got it?”_

“Yeah.” She said a little firmer, a smile gracing her face at the warmth in her chest.

_“So any news on that front?”_

“I'm pretty sure I've tracked him down, she's proving a bit harder.”

_“You gonna keep at it, or gonna go see him and hope he can give you some leads to finding her?”_

She shrugged, even though she knew her friend couldn't see the movement. “I don't know yet.”

_“You know. You always already know.”_

“I think I want to meet him first. At least if he's a douchebag I might have some more sympathy if I finally meet her.”

_“When, not if. Good, so do that. Then Skype us and tell us all about him. I miss your face.”_

“Yours too, bish.”

Her voice softened, _“Do you want me to fly over when you plan to go?”_

“Thanks chick, but nah. I can do this.”

 _“Yes you can. Anyway my class look like they're almost all here so I'd better get out there and warm them up, since they're seemingly incapable of doing so without instruction. Speaking of, you are going for that run tomorrow morning, aren't you.”_ It was a statement not a question.

“Yes, I promise.” She giggled. “Alright, well it was good to hear from you. Say hi to Rory for me.”

_“I will. Later, dork.”_

“Later, fool.” Emma hung up the phone, looking at the photo of her friend one last time before the screen darkened. She picked up the box of chicken and started eating again. Mulan was right, tomorrow she'd get back into a good routine. Tonight though, it was all about the kung pow chicken and Netflix.


	3. Chapter 3

It was an especially cool morning for October, but Emma knew how hot she felt when she ran so she was still only wearing a light t-shirt over her tank, and 3/4 length leggings. She had tied her hair up in a messy bun to keep it off her neck. It was early, but she had found it easier than expected to get up a little earlier than her Boston usual, her body switching back into old familiar habits in the past fortnight of her reinstated exercise routine. She was a little late today, having adjusted her alarm after getting in late from the bar she'd found herself invited to by her boss after her latest big catch. After the fight the jerk had put up, the least she could do was get a few rounds for free on the little big man.

She plugged in her earbuds which were slung loosely over her shoulder and tucks her phone into her armband while she waited for the recently repaired elevator to descend to her floor. The bell dinged and the doors slipped open. She wasn't expecting anyone to be in it given the hour, but a smiling face greeted her. 

“Hi, Emma!” Henry exclaimed.

She stepped into the lift and smiled back at him, then at his mother. “Morning, kid. Hi.. actually I didn't catch your name.” She held her hand out instinctively, then cringed at the move when the woman looked at it disdainfully. Still, she placed her hand in it and shook. 

“Regina Mills.” She said flatly, and let go. Even out of her usual power suits she maintained the intimidating air of authority. Her black pea-coat, pants and knee-high boots made the red flecks in her silk scarf and her lipstick pop, but again her deep, dark eyes sucked Emma in.

Emma broke her gaze away and looked Henry up and down, and pointed to his white shorts and knee-high red socks with white bands. “You play soccer?” she asked.

He nodded, his nose wrinkling slightly. “Yeah. Mom said it would be a good way to meet people, and would keep me healthy.” He pulled on the drawstring of his hoodie.

“Well she's right. I played soccer a few years back. That's where I met some of my best friends and it really helped me get myself healthy too.” She grinned, and glanced at Regina, catching a momentary flash of approval cross her usually stoic expression. That was something Emma wanted to see more of.

“I'm not very good.” Henry admitted. “They've all been playing for years but this is the first time I've played.”

Emma squeezed his shoulder. “Everyone is a beginner when they start, kid. Mia Hamm didn't start playing until she was 12 but she ended up holding the record for the most number of international goals out of all soccer players, both men and women.” He bit his lip thoughtfully. “If you love it, do your best and don't listen to people who say you can't do it. Believe in yourself.”

The bell dinged again and the doors opened into the basement garage. The Mills pair stepped out, and Henry frowned. “Aren't you getting out too?”

“Nah, kid.” She grinned. “I forgot to push the lobby button.” She caught an eye-roll from Regina. “Have fun!” she called out, waving her arm like a lunatic before the doors slid shut.

XxxxxxxxxX

Emma had only been jogging for about an hour but she was really feeling the effects of last night's alcohol consumption. She decided to cut across a few blocks and head home, and vowed to not drink that much again, or at least not run so early in the morning if she did. Even her usual jogging playlist on a low volume had been annoying her, and she'd removed her earbuds, entertaining herself with other mind games to try to distract from the pounding in her head.

That was how she saw it, playing the number plate game on parked cars. It was a Mercedes. The 45th, she thought. Somehow she had a system of remembering things, mostly numbers, but licence plates too. She'd noticed Regina's, scowling at it as she'd driven out that first morning after her parking spot had been stolen. 40F5TH. 45Th, like the woman herself hit her like a Colt 45. Not that she'd been hit by a Colt 45, but it was a word association game her brain played and, well, numbers stuck.

She saw the field as she approached, some parents sitting on fold out chairs with blankets on their laps, some at the sideline energetically and scarily cheering their kids on. She saw her neighbour leaning up against the low fence watching the game, Henry's backpack on the ground at her feet.

Without thinking she jogged up to her, and leaned on the fence next to her. “Hey.” She said.

Regina looked at her, surprised. “Hey.” She looked behind her then back at the game before her eyes returned to Emma, one eyebrow quirked. “Are you stalking us now?”

The blonde huffed out a laugh as she panted steamy clouds in the morning air. “Nah, just taking a shortcut home and saw you here.”

“A shortcut? Don't you have the stamina to go all the way?” She asked.

Emma coughed and swallowed. What the hell was that? “Normally I do, I just took advantage of my boss' offer of free beer last night and now I'm paying the price.”

“I see. And what is it that you do, may I ask?” 

“Bail bondsperson.” Emma replied, watching the woman's response. Her eyebrows flickered upwards before returning to their normal position.

“That seems rather dangerous.” She said.

The younger woman shrugged. “It can be, but I know how to take care of myself. It pays well.”

“One would hope so.” Regina replied.

Emma gestured to the game. “How's Henry doing?”

“His team are down 3 to 2, but he's playing well.” She replied, the corner of her mouth curling upwards slightly. “I appreciated what you said to him this morning.” She said after a moment. Emma studied the side of her face as she watched her son running upfield next to his teammate with the ball. She opened her mouth to say more, but then closed it again.

They both watched Henry for a while, then the ball went across the sideline. Henry trotted back to position waiting for the throw in, and looked over to his mother. He saw her and Emma, and a wide smile broke out on his face, he waved with both arms and jumped in the air. Both women waved back. Emma heard Regina suck in a sharp breath, and up close could see the tightness around her mouth and eyes that her son couldn't from a distance.

“Are you okay?” Emma asked, reaching out and placing her hand on Regina's bicep. Without looking at her, Regina nodded, though the tightness remained.

Emma had caught her breath and was just about to figure out what to say before she left when the half-time whistle blew. Regina leant down and picked up Henry's bag, the ragged green canvas bag appearing very out of place against the woman's attire. She took two steps forward and stopped, watching the gaggle of boys and two girls gather around their coach. Turning back to Emma, she asked “Would you like to come and talk to him?” She glanced back towards her son as Emma hesitated. “He'll be disappointed if you don't.” she said, in a way that was more saddened than manipulative.

She hoisted a leg up and heaved herself over the fence. “Okay.” she said. They walked side by side towards the field, to the side of where most of the parents had gathered.

Henry came trotting over with wedges of sliced orange in his hands after the coach had finished his motivational talk. “Emma!” He shouted as he drew close, a big grin on his face. “When did you get here? Did you see me almost score a goal?”

“Sorry kid, I must have got here after that. But I saw your moves, you have quick feet!” She noticed his crestfallen look. “But I'm sure your mom here saw it. Did you, Regina? See his almost goal?”

Regina smiled proudly at her son. “I did, Henry. You were brilliant. I'm very proud.” The boy grinned back at her as she stroked his hair, damp with sweat, but he still looked a little disappointed. He jammed an orange into his mouth, lips stretched to a macabre smile.

His mother reached into his backpack. “Here, Henry. Have some water, you need to stay hydrated.” He took it and gulped some down. She held a second bottle out to Emma, almost completely full. “You look like you could use some too. I've drunk a little, but-”

The blonde swiped the bottle from her outstretched hand and unscrewed the cap. “I'm sure you don't have cooties.” She guzzled most of it down, and wiped away her water moustache once she finished. She handed it back. “Sorry, I left a little for you if you need it. I don't have cooties either. I promise.”

Regina looked at the bottle. “It's okay, you can keep it.” Emma didn't know whether to feel insulted or grateful.

Henry screwed the cap back on his water bottle and handed it back to his mother. “I have to go pee before second half. Emma, will you stay to watch?” He asked, with a big puppy-dog eyed expression on his face Emma that was unable to refuse.

“Sure, kid. Go pee.” She snickered. He grinned at her, then at his mother, and ran off to the changing rooms. “I hope that's okay with you.” She said quietly to Regina.

The brunette awards her a small, tight smile. “Henry wants you to.”


	4. Chapter 4

Henry also insisted Emma came along to the team after-match pancake breakfast, despite her protests at her unsuitable clothing and lack of money. But Regina offered to pay, and Emma's stomach was audibly growling, so she accepted the offer.

The long table is full of kids, used to the regular Saturday morning kiddy soccer gatherings. Emma and Regina take a booth and place their orders. The gaps in conversation were a bit awkward, but Henry kept looking over at them happily, offering smiles and thumbs-ups on a regular basis.

“So Henry mentioned you had not long moved to Boston too. Where did you two move from?” Emma asked, wrapping her cold hands around and taking a sip of the black coffee the waitress had placed in front of her moments ago.

Regina reached for a sugar sachet and tore off the end. “Storybrooke, Maine.” She said without further explanation, and stirred her coffee. “You?”

“Portland.” Emma replied, taking another sip. “Oregon,” she clarified, in case the woman hadn't hear her tell Henry in the stairwell.

“You're a long way from home, Miss Swan.” The brunette said, her voice low, rumbling.

Emma swirled the coffee in her mouth and swallowed. “It was as much of a home as I've had, yeah. But originally I'm from over this way.”

“What brought you back?”

The blonde flicked her front tooth with her thumbnail, some deep need for comfort despite not being an habitual nailbiter. “I'm here to find my birth parents.” She said, taking a chance.

The brunette's nostrils flared and her jaw tensed. She stared at her cup for a long minute before glancing over at Henry again, watching as his stack of chocolate chip pancakes was placed in front of him. “Not satisfied with your adoptive parents?” She asked gruffly.

Emma shook her head. “I never...” she hesitated, the conversation deepening past her comfort level unexpectedly, but not unwillingly. “I was never adopted. I almost was as a baby but they gave me back when I was three and they got pregnant with their own kid. I went through the foster system, group homes and stuff. Ran away at 16 and have been on my own since then.”

There was genuine sorrow in the dark brown eyes when she replied. “I'm sorry to hear that.”

The blonde shrugged. “Yeah, well, that's life.”

The waitress delivered their orders, apple pancakes for Regina, and banana for Emma with a small shaker of cinnamon. Emma smoothed out the whipped cream over the top of the pancakes and sprinkled the whole top with cinnamon. She offered the shaker to Regina. “Goes great with apple too.” She encouraged, though the brunette was hesitant. “And it increases your metabolism.”

Regina took it and shook a small amount over her cream-less pancakes, and sliced a much more delicate piece to place in her mouth than the younger woman's wedge.

“Good, huh?” Emma asked, smiling and chewing at the same time.

“Don't talk with your mouth full,” Regina scolded. “but yes, it's quite nice.”

They ate in silence a few more minutes. 

“Henry is adopted.” Regina said out of the blue. Her eyes flicked up and caught Emma's own eyes widen in surprise.

“He looks so much like you.” She replied, before kicking herself, thinking it was a stupid thing to say.

A brief smile flickered on her face before dropping again. “He found out a few months ago when he was looking for his hidden birthday present. Things have been... difficult.”

Emma sat back in her seat and finished chewing her mouthful of pancake. “Yeah, I can see how that would be tough. Did you ever intend on telling him?” She asked, genuinely curious.

“Of course I did.” She snapped, her eyebrows dropping and a wrinkle forming between them. The blonde smiled sympathetically, disarming the defensive woman. “I always did, but it never seemed like the right time.”

Emma shrugged. “Sometimes there is no right time, you just have to rip the band-aid off and press on it to lessen the sting.”

Regina placed her knife and fork on the plate and pushed it to the edge of the table, obviously done with it. Emma ate the last few bites of hers while they sat in silence.

“Look, for what it's worth, he's a good kid. I can see he loves you, he's just... it takes time to get over someone lying to you.” Regina opened her mouth. “Or lying by omission.” She closed her mouth again. She stared at her son across the room, happily chatting to the red-headed boy sitting next to him and bit her lip.

Emma reached across the table and placed her hand on top of Regina's, hoping it wasn't sweaty. “He'll come around, I promise.”

“You promise?” The brunette scoffed. “And why would you do that?”

“Because I believe it,” Emma grinned. “I'll owe you breakfast if I'm wrong.”

Regina huffed, though mirth played in her eyes. “I think you owe me breakfast anyway, Miss Swan.”

The blonde chuckled. “Fair enough.” She pushed her empty plate aside and gestured to the remainder of Regina's breakfast. “Are you going to eat that?” The older woman didn't reply, only offering a raised eyebrow. “You snooze, you lose.” Emma said, as she plucked the plate away and dropped it in front of herself.

A white-haired man appeared next to them, Emma looked up, her cheeks bulging with stolen pancake. “Hello ladies,” he says with a strong Italian accent. “I am Marco. My grandson August is with your boy, I think.” He steps to the side and points to Henry, deep in conversation with the red-headed boy apparently named after a month. “Henry, is it not?”

“Yes,” Regina said, “Henry is my son.”  
“Wonderful boy, just wonderful. Better at soccer every week.” Marco says enthusiastically. “I think they become very good friends.” He smiles, and Emma can't help but grin stupidly. 

She scooted across in the booth. “Would you like to sit?” She asked, ignoring what she thought was a scowl from Regina across from her, but Marco was too busy looking at the boys to notice.

“Grazi.” He said, his hands on the table assisting his smooth descent to the seat. “Old bones.” He said, smiling. “August talks about Henry, says he likes to write stories too.”

Regina smiles proudly again. “Yes, Henry loves to write.”

“August too. Says one day he will travel the world and write about everywhere he goes.”

Emma chuckled, imagining an aspiring Kerouac turning out to be a travel-blogger, but doesn't enter the conversation.

The team's breakfast over and the coach finished up with his praise of the kids, the two boys came trotting over to the table. “Hi Nonno!” August said cheerfully, the man of the match trophy firmly clasped in his hand.

“Ciao Augusto,” Marco said, and patted his knee.

Henry slid in next to Regina, and then pushed her further into the wall to make room for August who seemed hesitant to sit on his grandfather's knee as invited. He plopped down next to Henry and looked at Emma with large blue eyes. She smiled at him and he grinned, his pink cheeks totally pinchable.

“Hello August,” Regina said warmly, leaning forward to see around Henry's head, “your Nonno tells me you want to be a writer too.” The boy nodded in an exaggerated manner. “That's great!” Regina replied.

August leant into Henry and said in a stage whisper. “Do you have two moms?”

Emma's head jerked back slightly as she stiffened and looked at Regina, knowing this could be a pivotal moment. Henry shook his head and looked at Emma for a moment. “No,” he said softly, “This is my Mom. Emma is our neighbour.” 

Marco chuckled softly next to her and Regina looked deep into her with those big, dark brown eyes, and though Emma couldn't tell what she's thinking, she also couldn't see any sign of offence or disgust at the implication and breathed a small sigh of relief.

She apologised again to Regina for stinking up her car when they gave her a ride home, at which point Henry decided to make Emma feel better and took his sneakers off in the back seat. The wind from the open windows whipped the loose strands of hair from around Emma's face, and she and Henry's laughter managed to coax a wry smile out of the unimpressed driver.

“Children,” she muttered, “both of you.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again. Sorry this isn't edited yet, well, even less than the first four chapters, but I wanted to get something up to you today! Hope you enjoy, and appreciate your feedback!

Henry had asked Emma to come along to his soccer game the next weekend as well, but she had to decline the invitation due to a hair appointment. She flicked her head, trying to shift the sleek and smooth tresses, now a few shades lighter and an inch or so shorter than the day before, from hanging over her face.

The loud bell on the oven startled her and she dropped the plate she was washing back into the sink, splashing soapy water on the belly of her tank top. She slid her still rubber-gloved hands into the oven mitts, pulled the tray of cupcakes out and placed them on the stovetop covered by a tea-towel to cool. The halved recipe left half of the spaces in the tray empty, but the 6 cupcakes were more than enough for her and all her friends. Which were none. She figured she'd take some up to the Mills' in the morning and say hello.

The timer now completed, the oven display showed the current time of 5:44pm, so she quickly finished washing the last of the dirty dishes and left them in the rack to drip dry. Carefully holding her hair back, she had a quick shower and zipped herself into her newest dress, a bright red sheath dress. She loved the way it sat, almost as comfortable as a long tank top, she knew it showed off her toned arms fantastically, and clung to her hips and ass like nobody's business. Yessirree, she was going to enjoy getting her man tonight.

She had finally managed to get in contact with him again on Tuesday, he'd been out of state on business he said. But he was back in town today, and it was a Saturday night after all, so she accepted the dinner invitation. She threw the heels she would wear with them down the hallway towards the front door, and started on her make-up.

A short time later, a frantic pounding on the front door almost caused a Cleopatra-esque eyeliner mistake, and she cursed under her breath as she popped the cap back on it and checked herself one final time. She was meeting him at the restaurant, so she wasn't quite sure who would be knocking on her door.

“Hi Emma! Wow! You look nice!” He was all teeth and messy hair.

“Uhh.. Hey, kid.” She says, leaning against the doorframe. Glancing up the hallway she could see Marco and August walking slowly, hand in hand from the elevator. “Where's your Mom?”

“Working, but she should be home soon.” He replied.

Emma sighed. “Hi August. Hello Marco.” She smiled at the young, shy boy and the old man who was smiling awkwardly back at her.

“Ciao Emma.” He said. “Young Henry here has been playing with August today, but.. his house key.. We tried to call Regina but she did not answer, he said he should come here, but it seems you have plans.” He gestured to her outfit. "You look very lovely."

“Oh,” She said, and took a step back, opening the door. “Thank you. I do have plans later, but you can come in.”

Henry stepped in the doorway and turned to stand next to Emma facing the visitors in the hall. “They need to go to pick up August's Dad from the airport.” 

Marco shrugged his shoulders and smiled apologetically. “I do, I am sorry. I can take Henry though, if...”

“No,” Emma interrupted. She ruffled the kid's hair. “It's fine, Marco. Really. He can wait here until his Mom gets home.”

“Grazi, bella,” he says. “Grazi.” The pair waved goodbye and shut the door. Emma raised her eyebrows at Henry. He grinned back at her.

“How was soccer?” She asked, and guided him into the living area with a hand on his shoulder.

The boy shrugged. “It was fun. We didn't win again, but I headed a throw in and it went for ages down the field.”

The blonde chuckled. “That's great, kid! I'm glad to hear. Hey can you try calling your Mom again?” 

“My phone died.” Emma stared at him blankly. “Me and August played fruit ninja for a while.”

“August and I.” she corrected. She picked up her phone from the counter. “Well, do you know her number?”

His eyes lit up. He rummaged through his backpack and gained access to an internal pocket where he pulled an envelope from. He opened it up and unfolded the piece of paper. Emma looked over the details, his name, address, an offer of a reward if the bag was found unattended, a few medical details, and Regina's contact details. Nerd. She tapped the number into her phone and then giggled, noticing the pattern of the numbers. She wasn't one to talk, nerd brain herself. She pressed Call and handed it to Henry. “Tell her where you are and find out when she'll be back.”

“Voicemail.” He said. He left her a message as per Emma's instructions though. “She won't be far away. Got any juice?”

She opened the fridge and poured him a small glass of apple juice. While he drank it, she dug around in the bottom kitchen drawer, finally coming up with a small pouch that looked like a manicure kit. “Alright,” she said, and snagged her own house keys from the small dish she kept them in. “Let's go see about this lock.” She tilted her head indicating for him to follow her. At the door she leaned down and held her shoe, but dropped her keys. When she picked them back up she instinctively went to tuck them at her hip and groaned. 

“Kid, I tell ya, never buy a dress without pockets.” He giggled, and she held out her keys. “Hold onto these for me.” He took them, and she put her shoes on. She opened the door and stepped into the hall, but Henry didn't follow, he stood in the doorway with his brow furrowed. 

“What is that?” He asked, and pointed to the pouch.

She held the pouch up and wiggled it. “I'm, well I'm a bit like an amateur locksmith.” The kid looked at her skeptically. Leaning forward, she whispered conspiratorially, “I can pick locks.”

His eyes lit up. “Are you like a spy? Like Michael Westen or Macguyver or something?”

“Or something. Hey how do you know Michael Westen? I'm sure that show isn't that kid friendly. Does your Mom let you watch that?” She frowned, quite sure she wouldn't. 

He shrugged. “I know how to do things that are morally grey too.”

The blonde shook her head, her mouth open. “Why do you... Are you sure you're ten?” He was skinny, and he was little. He looked ten. Barely. He nodded.

“And you're supposed to be at home, alone, waiting for your Mom? You're allowed to be alone?” She asked, having no idea what the rules are for good parenting.

“Yep. She'll be home soon.” He repeated.

“Alright, come on.” She said, and took another step down the hall. Henry stayed put.

“You won't be able to open it.” He said, his eyes narrowing at her.

“What makes you so sure?” She asked, feeling annoyed to have her abilities called into question.

Henry grimaced. “I broke the key off in the lock.”

Emma straightened up, closed her eyes, dropped her head back, and sighed. She heard the door shut in front of her, but when she looked up Henry was nowhere to be seen. She heard the snick of her door locking. “Henry?”

There was a laugh from inside her apartment and a jingling of keys. “I guess you're just going to have to prove to me that you can pick locks!” He called through the door.

She muttered under her breath. “Henry, just open the door.” Another giggle was the only response. "Henry!"

Emma rolled her eyes, then her shoulders, and dropped to her knees in front of her own door. She unzipped the pouch and pulled out the thin metal tools and inserted them into the lock of her own door while muttering curses under her breath. She was out of practice, but getting there.

She was concentrating so hard she didn't hear the elevator ding, but the hairs on the back of her neck pricked up as she felt someone approaching. She froze, then swiveled her head slowly to the side. 

Regina stared down at her from her seemingly lofty position. She was short, shorter than Emma even, but somehow she held herself in a way that made her seem much taller, although with the blonde on her knees in front of her, the height difference was indeed significant.

Emma's eyebrows rose, and she cracked a lopsided and tense smile. “Hi.” She noticed the woman's slightly ruffled appearance, hair a little messy, shirt tucked in unevenly, and wondered if she had panicked knowing her son was locked out and had run. Emma thought she was the kind of woman who would be able to run as fast as she herself could but do so while in stiletto heels.

“Miss Swan.” Regina replied, apparently as a greeting. “May I ask what you are doing and where my son is?”

“Mom?” Henry's voice resonated through the wooden door. Emma scrunched her eyes shut and with a final few jiggles the lock popped open. She removed her tools and turned the handle. Henry stood on the other side, clearly impressed. He drew out the word “cool” and opened the door wider for the two women.

Emma clambered to her feet, rubbing her knees. She wasn't even 30 yet but years of running caused her to notice them enough to take care of them. “Please,” she gestured to the older woman. “Come in.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters will start to get a little longer now as they get a bit more meaty. Still doing more Hemingway-esque writing drunk than editing sober so feel free to point out things I need to correct in your feedback. I'll listen and not take offence. :) Hope you enjoy!

“That won't be necessary, Miss Swan. Henry, get your things.” Regina instructed her son. He didn't move, instead cast a look in Emma's direction.

“Actually, it might be.” Emma said, and gestured again to the woman to go inside. “You're going to need to a locksmith to get into your place.”

The brunette gave an exasperated sigh and followed her son into the living area. “Would one of you please explain what is going on?”

“Sorry Mom.” Henry began, his head low. “I didn't unclip the key from my backpack, and it slipped when I was trying to open the door. It broke the key off in the lock.”

Slim fingers ran through dark brown locks. “I knew those damn keys the super gave us felt flimsy. I'll send him the bill for this, providing inferior keys when I'm paying penthouse prices.”

Emma had kicked her high heels off and was Googling after hours locksmiths on her phone. She rolled her eyes and handed it to Regina. “Here, call one of these, and you can wait here until the locksmith arrives.”

Regina took the phone, but ran her eyes up and down the blonde's form causing a shiver down the younger woman's spine. “You appear to have... plans.”

The blonde rolled her eyes. “Just call a damn locksmith, see how soon they can get here.”

In the end Regina had called the top four after hours mobile locksmiths and the soonest anyone could get there was an hour. Upon Regina's further insistence that she be tended to immediately and the resulting argument, he had the refused to attend at all and she had been forced to call back the second best option which was estimated at best somewhere around two hours.

Emma had insisted they stayed, claiming if they weren't nearby when the locksmith arrived they may leave again. Reluctantly, and only at Henry's insistence, Regina had agreed.

“How does a burrito sound, kid?” She asked him as she walked out of her bedroom having changed into jeans and a white tank top, calling her date to postpone while she was in there.

“Yeah!” He exclaimed, pushing away from his mother.

Regina turned to face the younger woman. “I am happy to buy dinner.”

“Don't be silly. I can cook us up something. Want to give me a hand?” She asked, padding into the kitchen in her bare feet.

The woman nodded, and Henry followed them both. “Can I help too?”

Emma pulled a face. “How about...” She turned and uncovered the cupcakes on the stove. “You ice these puppies while your Mom and I cook dinner? There's a container of frosting in the fridge and an icing kit with a piping set in it on the end of the counter there.”

She set him up in the living room in front of the TV, then set Regina to work chopping onions, lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, coriander, and de-kerneling a corn cob while she fried up the onion with re-fried beans, black beans and tinned tomatoes on the stove-top.

Henry reappeared as they were putting all the components into individual bowls, and put the plate of cupcakes in the refrigerator. 

“Henry, your hands!” Regina exclaimed, grabbing him by the wrists.

Emma spun around to see the chastised boy grimace. “I see you found the food colouring too!” She grinned.

“Did you stain anything by accident?” The brunette asked him sternly. 

Emma placed her hand on the woman's bicep. “Don't worry about it. It's fine.” She said. She wasn't sure it would be, she rented the place furnished and had no idea of the replacement cost of anything, but she didn't want the kid to get into trouble. Not today.

“Don't tell me how to parent my son, Miss Swan.” Regina said, her voice low and menacing.

“No, Mom. I didn't touch anything. Except..” He pointed to a blue dot on his jeans. “Here, but you can hardly see it.”

She released him and stood straight again. “Okay, Henry. That's alright. Go wash your hands.”

Regina resumed plating the salad components as Emma tipped the bean mix into a larger dish. “I'm sorry. For snapping at you. I shouldn't have done that.”

She shrugged again and smiled softly. “It's okay. It's good, I guess. Raising him to be careful of other people's belongings. It's respectful.”

To her surprise, the older woman graced her with the most genuine, though still tight, smile she had offered so far in their short friendship, if that's what this was. “Thank you.”

Together they carried the plates and bowls to the dining table, placing them in the middle for each to adjust proportions of each item to their liking. Henry trotted back from the bathroom and plopped himself at the head of the table, leaving Emma and Regina to sit opposite each other on either side of him.

“Okay, kid.” Emma said. She handed him the plate of small tortillas, then pointed to each of the bowls. “You've got beans, salady stuff, and I don't have any cheese or sour cream so you've got a pineapple and sweetcorn salsa with coriander and lime, and the smashed avocado here to substitute.”

“Why don't you have cheese?” He asked, already loading up his tortilla with the bean mix. “And is there no meat in this?”

Regina looked about to scold Henry but Emma shook her head slightly and smiled. “No meat in this, no. Taste it though, doesn't need it. And I don't have cheese because I lived without it for pretty much three years, and now it doesn't really appeal to me all that much.”

The kid looked at her like she had two heads. “Why?”

“Why? I just got out of the habit of having it, and now I just don't really want it. I prefer the alternatives.” She shrugged.

He shook his head. “No, why did you live without it for three years?”

“Oh!” She said, loading up her own burrito with extra avocado. “I lived with a vegan and a lactose intolerant person, and they taught me how to cook. We used to share cooking duties, so I'm used to making things we could all eat.”

Regina had foregone the tortilla and opted for a burrito salad idea, the lettuce and tomato spread over the plate, spoonfuls of beans dotted around, and salsa and avocado across the top. She smiled again when Emma caught her eye. “This is delicious, Miss Swan.”

She felt her cheeks warm. “Emma, please. And thank you.” She smiled back.

“Where were you going to have dinner tonight?” Henry asked, having just swallowed a large bite of his grossly overstuffed wrap.

Emma shrugged. “Some semi-fancy place downtown, not that I would have eaten there though.” The twin confused expressions on the Mills' faces were priceless, and Emma giggled. “I mean I was meeting him at the restaurant bar there but I would have ended up just getting some take-out on the way home probably.” She grinned, but Regina glowered at her and she felt herself tense. “I mean it was work.” Dark brown eyes still glared at her across the table. “I mean he skipped bail. I was luring him into a public place so I could take him in to collect the bounty.”

One eyebrow raised up at her. “It wasn't a date?”

“No,” she shook her head. “Not a real one anyway. Sometimes you track these guys down and you just have to follow them a bit, catch them at the right moment. Some of them are trickier though and you have to give them something to come out of hiding for. Sometimes you throw out some bait. Sometimes you are the bait.” She shrugged. 

Regina had set her fork down on her plate. “Is that not dangerous?”

“I can take care of myself. Always have.” She said, her chin jutting forward, a hint of defiance in her tone. She held the eye contact with Regina. “What about you? Why were you working today? What is it that you do?”

Dark eyes blinked, her nostrils flared ever so slightly. “I work in local government. Civil service work never stops. My meeting today was with the public relations liaison of the police department.”

“A cop? Cops are hot.” Emma said with a wink. She grinned at Henry who just wrinkled his nose and kept eating.

Regina cleared her throat. “If you're into uniforms, I suppose.”

“You're not?” She asked. “Come on, Regina.” The brunette struggled to stop the corners of her mouth from quirking upwards. “A cop in uniform. What about a firefighter?” She prodded. “All muscled and heroic. Or are you more of a paramedic girl?” Regina rolled her eyes. “Pilots?” Emma continued. “I worked for UPS once. Sexy brown short-sleeved button up with knee length shorts and sensible shoes. How could you resist that?” The brunette had lost the battle to remain stoic and she herself was grinning wildly now. “The little logo on the socks...”

“Stop, Miss Swan.” Regina chuckled. “Uniformed people in the real world are rarely as attractive as they are … on film.”

Emma raised her eyebrows, stuck her tongue in her cheek, and wondered if the brunette was implying what she thought she was implying.

Henry leaned forward for a second round. “Damn, kid. Are those legs hollow?” She asked. He grinned at her. “Save room for dessert.” She reminded him.

“Why did you make cupcakes?” He asked, wisely making his second burrito much smaller than the first.

She hesitated, feeling her cheeks warm again. “No rea...” she glanced briefly up at the dark eyes across the table just for a second, but couldn't lie. She sighed. “Actually, it's my birthday. And I was going to bring four of them up to you in the morning.” She chanced another glance at Regina and felt her heart swell at the softened expression.

“It's your birthday?!” Henry shouted a little too loudly. “Why didn't you say so? Happy birthday Emma!” He clambered off his seat and threw his arms around her. She hugged him back wondering when physical contact became so comfortable to her.

“Thank you, Henry.” She said, and ruffled his hair as he pulled away.

“Happy birthday, dear.” Regina said, her voice smooth and warm.

Henry took another bite of burrito and chewed with his mouth open. “How old are you?”

The brunette only had to look at him for him to sit up properly and close his mouth. Emma chuckled. “I'm twenty-eight.” She said. 

They were returning the plates to the kitchen and covering the dishes with cling film when Regina's phone began vibrating. She excused herself to answer it, and it was indeed the locksmith. “He's upstairs now.” She said to Emma, her hand over the mouthpiece.

Waving her hand toward the door, Emma said “Go, go. I'll send Henry up, if you like.”

“Thank you!” She said quickly, and without thinking leaned forward and kissed the younger woman on the cheek. Their eyes met and they both silently acknowledged the awkwardness by pulling away quickly.

Henry was too full for his cupcake straight away and it was rather late in the evening, so they agreed for Henry to take some home with him for the next day. He pulled the plate out of the refrigerator, and Emma clapped her hand on his shoulder. “They look great!” She said, truthfully.

He beamed. “I made two of them blue, which is my favourite colour, I made two of them red for you, because you had a red dress on, and then I made two purple ones for my Mom because she likes purple.” 

“So cool!” She said. 

The boy put the two blue cupcakes on his plate, one of the purples, then he stopped. He picked up one of the red ones. “This was the first one I did, it doesn't look the best. It's your birthday, I want you to have the good ones.” He pointed to the one red and one purple cupcake left on the plate. “Those two are the best.”

She squeezed his shoulder. “Thank you so much, Henry. It really means a lot to me that I got to share my birthday with you and your Mom.”

Her phone beeped.

**_[20:15] The door is open now, you may send Henry up when he is ready. Thank you for dinner, Miss Swan. I had a lovely time._ **

“You can go up now, kid.” She said, and helped him tuck the cling film under the edge of his take-away plate. “Go grab your things.”

She waited with him at the elevator, her keys firmly in her pocket this time, just in case. The doors opened and before he took the plate from her he wrapped his arms around her in another hug. Surprised again by the normalcy of the move, she lightly wrapped her spare arm around his shoulder and gave him a small squeeze. “Goodnight, Henry.”

He stepped into the elevator and grinned at her until the doors closed. She sighed and retreated back to her apartment to tap out a reply to Regina.

_[20:21] He's coming up now. Thank you for the company, I had a lovely time as well. Goodnight, Regina._

_**[21:59] Goodnight, Emma.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you notice the teeny tiny shout out to Swingtown?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning just in case, there is mention of past drug abuse, accidental death, and suicide. (If you want more info before reading through just send me a message, I'd be happy to answer any questions.)

The sky was overcast and breeze was cold on her cheeks. She tried to shelter from it by leaning against a tree, but the direction she needed to look in is into the wind, and she doesn't want to miss him. She looked the other way towards the side street fifty yards away where she parked the bug, and a part of her thought she should be sensible and trade it in for a less conspicuous vehicle. It would make reconnaissance more comfortable.

She checked her watch, 9:07am. He doesn't work on Mondays, she knows that. His wife does though. Last Monday she watched him take the kid to school, returning home about ten past. He parks on the street, his wife parks in the garage and there is a large, black motorcycle in the second space, covered in a pale silver dust cover. Their driveway narrows at the gate and she guessed his truck is too wide for his wife's car to get past when she leaves super early in the morning, which is why he's relegated to the road.

The house in a nice neighbourhood, large but not especially flashy. The front lawn is neat, a small garden bordering the front edges of the house. Their vehicles are fairly new, they all seem well dressed. She discovered the wife is a lawyer at one of the smaller but successful firms on the city fringe, which is partly the reason she made sure he'll be the only one there when this goes down.

In the distance she saw the red truck turn from a side street. She took her phone out of her pocket and tapped in a quick message. She hit send, turned it to silent, and slid it into her jeans pocket. Adjusting her blue leather jacket and tugging her grey beanie down a little lower, she pushed away from the tree and casually started walking up the pavement towards her target. She crossed the road behind his truck as he pulled up to the kerb, and doubled back to face him as he climbed out.

He paused, his brow flickered in confusion, and he watched the younger woman approach him. She squared her shoulders and rested her weight on one leg, propping a booted foot slightly to the side. A widened stance exerted more confidence, and she needed that right now. Up close he was bigger than she expected, taller, and his shoulders broad. He was solidly built too. Not fat, but that kind of thickness that was probably once solid muscle but had softened into just bulk as he aged.

“Can I help you?” He asked, looking intently at her face. 

His gentle, friendly voice disarmed her, and she failed to maintain her false confidence. She suddenly had doubts she was strong enough for this. She slipped her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and took a deep breath. “You're David Nolan?” She asked, and rolled her lips between her teeth a moment before releasing them.

The man pushed the truck door closed without taking his green eyes off her and nodded. “Yes. Who are you?”

She released a long breath through her mouth. “My name is Emma Swan. I'm your daughter.”

His eyebrows raised up towards his hairline, slightly receding from the corners of his forehead, the dark ashy blonde colour of his hair not quite managing to hide the few greys starting to appear. He took a step backwards and placed his hand on the roof of his truck, leaning on it for support.

“Twenty-eight years ago, I was put up for adoption by Mary-Margaret White. She listed you as my father.” Emma felt herself shrinking the longer the man remained silent. Her chest felt tight, there was a lump in her throat that she just couldn't seem to swallow away, and she shifted her weight onto her back foot.

David ran a large hand through his short, slightly wavy hair and blinked with a squeeze and a slight shake of his head. “Yes.” His voice was rough and quiet. “Emma.”

He stepped forward, his forehead wrinkled together and she could see the moisture in his eyes. His slightly parted pink lips pulled back into a kind smile and he slowly reached a hand out towards her, cautious, as though he were approaching a wounded animal. “I always hoped... I'm so glad to finally meet you.” A tear spilled from his eye, then another followed in it's track. “May I..?” He stepped forward again, his arms widening slightly.

Emma had never been one for physical affection. She craved touch her whole life, would go to sleep imagining warm hands stroking her head, wish someone greeted her at the school gate with a hug. Instead she began to avoid it, she hated being left feeling like she wanted more, she hated needing anybody because she was sure she would end up being let down by them. But after some time living with Mulan and Rory, she started to get used to the odd touch here and there. A hand on her back as someone stepped behind her at the stove, someone's feet on her lap as they watched TV, a drunken pile-up on someone's bed after a party. Henry's hugs had felt good too. Awkward at first, but good. And this was her Dad. As much resentment as she felt about her parents giving her up, she hated that she desperately wanted them to love her. 

She nodded her head slightly, and pulled her hands from her pockets, letting them hang at her sides. He closed the distance and wrapped his strong arms around her, her face pressing into his shoulder. She sucked in a breath and tears sprung into her eyes, she and felt the warmth of his body through her jacket. She felt the stubble of his beard catch on her beanie as he tilted his head to rest it on top of hers. Instinctively she raised her arms around his wide back, and buried her nose into the soft corduroy of his coat. He smelled a little like cologne, and a little bit like floral fabric softener. She smiled at the thought of her father, the guy who lives in the nice house with the nice truck who still washes his jackets in the washing machine. She'd seen his wife with her dry-cleaning and was sure it wasn't her doing.

He squeezed her tightly again then let her go. She quickly wiped her cheeks and took a moment before looking back up into his smiling face. “Please, would you.. would you come inside?”

She looked up to the blue front door, then back to the man. She sniffed twice, then nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

His smile widened, white teeth shining at her. “Great! That's great.” He clapped a hand on her shoulder and began walking up to the house with Emma following behind. When he fumbled and dropped his keys, Emma realised just how nervous he was as well. The door opened and he stepped back to allow her to enter first.

There were a pile of shoes next to the front door and half a dozen jackets on a coat rack. An umbrella was propped in the corner, and a skateboard was leaning against the staircase. “Sorry about the mess,” he said. “Monday is my cleaning day, you know, after the kid and his friends wreak havoc on it over the weekend.”

“You have a son.” She stated, she already knew this, but noticed the family portrait on the wall and walked toward it. She hadn't seen him up close. There was David in an open-collared white shirt and a black leather jacket. Next to him was a pretty, smiling blonde woman, with delicate features and the palest blue eyes. Her dark, cap-sleeved dress offset the small pearl on her chest, hanging by a thin gold chain. Seated in front of them was a boy in his early teens, gangly in his pubescent state. He was handsome, his eyes intelligent, his expression cheeky, and his large ears sticking out from his shaggy hair, dark blond like his father, maybe even a little darker.

She felt David approach, and he stood next to her to look at the portrait as well. “Yes, Peter. He's fourteen. And that's my wife, Kathryn. Married seventeen years next month.”

“You have a beautiful family.” She said, turning to look up at him. He smiled at their picture and then at his daughter.

“Thank you.” He held her gaze for a moment then drew a breath. “Can I get you a tea? Coffee? Cocoa?”

Emma smiled. “Actually a cocoa would be great, thank you.” He tilted his head for her to follow him down the hall to the kitchen. Dishes were piled up around the sink and four empty pizza boxes sat on top of the large rubbish bin in the corner.

“Sorry,” he said again, clearing some space on the counter and placing two clean mugs down. “Pete had all his boys around last night, some kind of gamer thing. I don't know. The entire living room was a trip hazard with all the power cords and everything everywhere.”

She smiled, and wandered around, looking at the framed photos on the walls and the smaller ones sitting atop the buffet. “It's cool. I'm sorry for surprising you.” She paused to look at a small, faded photo of a young David and an identical twin, not that she could tell which was which.

“Don't be sorry.” He said gently but firmly. She wandered back and sat on one of the bar stools while he finished making the cocoas. “Will you tell me about you?” He asked hesitantly.

“What do you want to know?” She asked, suddenly drawing a blank on what to say.

He shrugged. “Just tell me about your life. Pretty much all I know is that you were healthy and had been adopted by an older couple. Did you have siblings?”

Emma frowned. “Who told you that?”

“Mary-Margaret.” He looked at her quizzically. “Why?”

She sighed, looked into the cocoa he'd placed in front of her and wrapped her fingers around the mug to warm them up. “I was almost adopted. That couple, they had me for three years but then they finally managed to conceive their own kid. There was some issue with my adoption, and in the end, they gave me up and I went into foster care. I moved around a lot and spent some time in group homes and with foster families until I ran away to Portland.”

The man looked devastated. “But... why?”

“Why Oregon? I was just trying to get as far west as I could, and I ended up hitching a ride with a guy heading there. I just moved back a couple of months ago.”

“I meant why didn't the first couple adopt you? How could they have... after three years...” His voice trailed off.

The blonde shrugged. “They moved overseas, I... I haven't tried to track them down to find out.”

“Emma, I'm so sorry. I had no idea.” He put his mug back down on the counter and stood back, placing his hands on his hips. He was agitated, she watched his jaw clench and his nostrils flare. “I... I didn't know about you. Not until about ten years later.” He stared out the kitchen window. “When she told me, I was upset, of course, but I understood.” He turned back to her and looked into her green eyes, so close in colour to his own. “We were kids ourselves, you know? Everything was so... tumultuous at the time. We wouldn't have been able to give you everything you deserved, and I know... I know Mary-Margaret gave you up to give you your best chance. She didn't want to, but she did. And I honestly believe she thought you had been adopted and...” He stopped and tried to swallow down the lump in his throat that caused his voice to falter.

She dropped her eyes to her hands. “It's okay.”

He reached for her hand and her eyes met his again as he held it. “No, Emma, it's not. I'm sorry.”

She pulled her hand back and smiled tightly at him, willing the moisture in her eyes to be re-absorbed. “You can stop saying that. You didn't even know about me.”

David slowly shook his head.

Emma took a sip of the cocoa, surprised to note the hint of cinnamon that she always added as well. “Do you know why? Why she didn't tell you about me?”

“You haven't met her?” He asked, somewhat surprised.

She shook her head. “You were easier to track down. I think I found her but I'm not sure. Actually I was hoping you would know how I could get in touch with her.”

He tipped his head back. “Yes, she changed her name to her mother's maiden name, goes by Mary-Margaret Blanchard now.”

“Ah, then it is her that I found. Why did she do that?”

His finger traced the bottom of his mug. “You should probably ask her.”

Emma nodded, and a short silence hung between them. “So why didn't she tell you about me?” She asked again.

“Oh, right. Well, my mother died when I was young and my father traveled a lot on business, so my brother and I used to spend our summer holidays and some Christmas breaks with Kathryn's family. They had a house here in Boston, but also a beautiful house up in Maine. I spent the summer there in '82, Mary-Margaret and I fell madly in love, and it was torture being separated from her once I returned to school. We wrote to each other all the time, such lovesick teenagers. James and I went back again at Christmas with the Kings, which is when you were conceived.”

He leaned against the counter behind him and pinched the bridge of his nose. “James and I were travelling home with Kathryn in her brother Fred's car while their parents followed in the Range Rover. Fred was a few years older than us and had just bought this '78 Ford Mustang King Cobra he was so proud of. Black with gold trim.” His words sounded fond, but his tone was dark. “There was an accident. He wasn't even being careless, we just hit a patch of black ice, spun, and clipped a behemoth mining truck going the other way. James was in the front passenger seat and was killed instantly.” His eyes flicked behind her for a moment to where the photo of the two brothers sat. 

“I'm sorry.” Emma said.

He swallowed roughly again. “Kathryn and I were trapped in the back seat until the firefighters could cut us free. It... took a long time, we were out in the middle of nowhere. It messed me up a lot. Twins, you know. They're like a part of you. A big part. I pushed everyone away.”

Emma didn't know, but she could imagine, so quirked her lip in an understanding grimace.

“I started off addicted to the pain meds, and ended up doing harder drugs. My Dad caught me one day and packed me off to go and live with distant relatives in rural Ireland.” He chuckled. “Which you would think would be an awful thing to do to your grieving kid, right? Actually it was the best thing. All that fresh air, well, fresh except for the smell of lanolin and sheep shit.” He grinned, the sparkle returning to his eye. “I stayed there for a year, and then traveled for another year before finally ending up in Florida, of all places.”

He looked down at the floor. “I didn't know. I didn't know what she was going through.” He sighed. “A few years later, well Fred hadn't been coping either, with the guilt. He committed suicide, and that was when Kathryn and I got back in touch. She moved down to Florida with me for a while. When Kathryn and I got engaged, we decided to move back up here. Between jobs we went up to Maine again, to, you know, try to make peace with everything that happened so we could both move on. I went to apologise to Mary-Margaret for leaving her the way I did, which was when she broke down in tears and told me about you.”

She took a sip of the now cool cocoa, the thick liquid now seemed too creamy and sweet, and she craved something at least 40% alcohol, neat, instead. “Does Kathryn know, then?”

“Yes. So does Peter.” Emma looked up, surprised. “I put my name in to the adoption agency, you know, where you write in and if the child wants to contact you once they come of age then they put you in touch.”

“I guess I prefer to do things the hard way.” She said wryly. “They never mentioned it when I contacted them. But then my file went through quite a few hands in various government departments.”

“You're here now.” He said, gazing fondly at her. “You look well. You're what, twenty-seven now? Do you have someone?”

“Twenty-eight,” She corrects. “And if by someone you mean a significant other, no. But I have some great friends. I'm doing okay.” She smiled. “I'm really good, actually.”

His smile broke her heart as moisture welled in his eyes again. “That's great.”

“Do you have contact details for Mary-Margaret? It seems she still lives in Maine but I couldn't get an exact location on her.” She asked, standing and circling the counter to tip the rest of the cocoa in the sink and rinse the mug. 

“Yeah, yeah I have a phone number.” He pulled his phone out of the breast pocket of his jacket and Emma chuckled as he flipped it open. She pulled her own phone out of her pocket and swiped away the notification of a missed call and three new messages. She opened up a new contact and accepted the phone from David's outstretched hand. “ _Sister_ Mary-Margaret?” She asked, looking up from the screen of his phone to his face, one eyebrow raised.

He shrugged with one shoulder. “She always had a kind heart. I wasn't all that surprised to hear she became a sister. Spends most of her time at Storybrooke General Hospital and at the old folks home nearby.”

“Storybrooke, Maine?” She asked. He nodded, and her stomach roiled at the strange coincidence.

Emma shook her head, that was not expected. She tapped the phone number in, saved it, and handed his phone back. “I should go.” She sighed.

Disappointment is evident on his face, but again he looked at her as though he could see her desire to run, and bless him, he didn't try to make her stay. “Okay.” He said. “I'm really glad you came. Thank you, for tracking me down.”

“Thank you for filling in some of the blanks.” She replied, a little formally, her walls going back up.

He followed her as she walked toward the door. “Will I see you again?” He asked nervously.

She turned, her fingers brushing the door handle. “Yeah. Yeah I'd like that.” Her eyes drifted to the family portrait on the wall. “Maybe I could meet your family too.”

David grinned at her. “Yes, we'd all love that.” She couldn't help but return the smile.

“I have your number. I'll call ahead next time.” 

“I'll clean the house before you get here.” He chuckled.

The blonde turned the handle and stepped out onto the stoop. “Well, I guess I'll seeya later, David.”

He opened his arms again just a fraction but she understood. She turned back to face him and let his arms envelop her once again. Her resolve to stay strong was crumbling with every breath of his scent. Tears licked at the corners of her eyes as she committed to memory the way her father smelled the first time she met him. One day, she'd ask what cologne he wore. Maybe one day she'd buy it for him for Father's Day.

She bit the inside of her cheek and pulled away, gave him a wave, and trotted down the steps and out onto the street. She didn't look back, not wanting him to see the tears now running freely down her face.

Emma sat in the bug and composed herself as best she could. She took out her phone and checked her missed call, it was from Mulan. She flicked across to messages, all three unread were from her as well. She opened their conversation.

_[09:09] I'm doing it._

_**[09:15] What? With your hot neighbor? You minx.** _

_**[09:17] Oh my god! Do you mean you're going to see David? Good luck! I hope it all goes well!** _

_**[09:41] I'm pretty sure you meant David. I hope you find what you're looking for. Msg or call if you need me, okay hon? Rory and I will be waiting for all the details so let us know when you want to Skype. We'll both be home by about 5:30 our time. (Tho if you did mean your neighbor, I still want all the juicy details.) Love you. Xx** _

She typed in a quick reply.

_[09:53] Yes I meant David. It went well. Will msg you later to Skype. Love you too._

After rummaging around in her glovebox for some tissues and cleaning herself up a bit, she turned the key, threw it into gear, and pulled away from the kerb. She drove aimlessly, not wanting to go home, nor into work, and she didn't know anyone else here. No one who would be home at this time of day anyway.

After an hour or so her grumbling stomach forced her to make a stop. She had been too nervous to eat breakfast and her body was not happy about it. She felt a little weak and shaky, partly from hunger and probably quite a lot from being emotionally drained. She saw the sign for a diner up ahead, and pulled into one of the free parking bays out the front.

A bell dinged above the door as she entered, the diner empty bar an older gentleman sitting in the window seat and a young couple in one of the back booths. Her mouth watered when she saw the bear claws in the cabinet but she walked toward the counter for a menu to order something more substantial.

The door swung open from the kitchen and a tall, lean brunette stepped out wearing tight red pants and a black sleeveless button up, tied in a knot to show off her midriff. She had red streaks in her hair and wore bright red lipstick.

Emma felt the world spin as her legs gave out, and she crumpled on the floor, her vision fading out to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that wasn't all too heavy!  
> I wrote hopped up on sugar rather than beer too, so hopefully I didn't make as many mistakes as usual. :)  
> Thanks for the kudos and the feedback so far, I'm thrilled by the response this story is getting!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently I can't write from anyone's perspective but Emma's but oh well.

“Granny!” The panicked voice of her granddaughter resonated through the diner kitchen, over the sizzling of the two burger patties and bubbling of the fries in the deep fryer. The woman slapped the spatula down on the countertop and wiped her hands on her apron as she rushed out into the diner. Her granddaughter was hunched over a blonde woman lying on the floor, two fingers pressed to her wrist. “I think she just fainted.” The girl said, her voice more calm.

The older woman harrumphed and went back into the kitchen, where she retrieved a small vial from the first aid kit. She flipped the burgers with one hand, happy to see she hadn't over-cooked them on one side, then went back out to the front. Lowering herself down on the opposite side of the woman from her granddaughter, she uncapped the bottle and then froze.

Her blue eyes widened beneath her small, oval spectacles. “It's Emma.” Ruby nodded at her, her forehead wrinkled in concern and mouth open in surprise. Eugenia waved the bottle under the blonde's nose and a moment later she inhaled sharply and her green eyes flew open. 

“It's you...” She murmured, still a little dazed.

Eugenia smiled, re-capped the bottle and pulled herself back up to standing using the nearby counter. “Alright, nothing to see.” She said firmly to the three patrons, all watching the scene intently. She leaned forward and placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder. “Take her out the back, Red.” She held out her hand, as did Ruby, and Emma took both of them. Together they heaved her to a standing position, but the fast rise immediately made her woozy again. 

Ruby threw Emma's arm around her own neck and wrapped hers around the shorter woman's waist. “I've got you.” She assured her. Emma let the girl guide her despite the black spots still speckling her vision, and the brunette guided her down the hall, past the bed and breakfast reception to the small, private living room of the quarters she shared with her grandmother.

She lowered Emma onto the sofa then lifted her feet up, swiveling her around to the side so they rested on the seat next to her. Ruby then plopped herself down on the coffee table directly in front of the older woman.

“Emma bloody Swan.” She said. “Where the heck did you come from?”

The blonde smiled, then chuckled at the spark in her old friend's eyes. “Oregon, a few months ago.”

Ruby grinned and poked her in the shoulder. “It's really good to see you.”

“It's really good to see you too, Rubes.” Emma smiled back. 

Eugenia appeared behind her and placed a glass of water in Emma's waiting hand. “Emma Swan.” She said, in a tone that could sound harsh if it weren't accompanied by a smile and slow shake of her hear. “Wasn't expecting to see you again, my girl.”

It was true. Emma had only lived with Eugenia and Ruby Lucas for a few months before she thing turned sour. While Eugenia had tried to keep track of the wild girl, Emma had preferred to leave the entire experience behind her and focus on the here and now. She had thought about the pair a lot though, and the day's events were continuing to make her head spin.

“Neither was I.” The blonde said honestly. “But I'm...” She cursed under her breath and blinked back tears before surrendering and letting them fall. The bell above the door in the diner dinged and Emma gestured for Eugenia to go. 

“I'll be back.” She said. “Can I get you something to eat? You're white as a sheet and still skinny as a rake. I see.”

Emma chuckled and slapped her stomach. “Solid muscle you mean.”

“Yes, well. To-may-to to-mah-to. You skipped breakfast, I presume? You always did need to watch your blood sugar in the morning. Cheeseburger and fries, like the old days?” She asked, shuffling to the door.

“Sounds good, Granny. Thank you.” She said, smiling at the grey-haired woman as she left to tend to her customers.

Ruby scooted forward and reached for the now half-empty glass of water, removing it from Emma's hands and placing it on the table next to her. She leaned forward and gathered her friend up in a tight hug, lifting her off the sofa with surprising strength, causing the blonde to giggle into her ear.

“I missed you!” The brunette grumbled fondly, and let her go. Their hands fingers intertwined and Emma stared at the younger woman's long digits, much longer than her own now. The girl had been barely eleven last time they saw each other. The blonde studied her face, now free of all puppy fat, her blue eyes accentuated by eyeliner but her features remarkably similar to her youthful appearance.

“I missed you too, Rubes.” She squeeze her hand.

Ruby sighed. “Oregon?”

The blonde laughed. “It was as far away as I could get!” She reached squeezed her hand again when she saw the brunette's face drop slightly. “Not from you, never from you.”

“You could have come back.” Ruby said softly, eyes fixed on their joined hands.

“I know.” Emma said quietly. “I could have, but _I_ couldn't, you know? You... you never would have looked at me the same.” She meant both the girl and her grandmother, but mostly Ruby.

With her free hand, she tucked a strand of red-streaked hair behind her ear. “No, we wouldn't have.” She brushed her thumb across the back of Emma's hand. “Of course we wouldn't have. You were my hero, Emma.” Her blue eyes rose up and looked at Emma's green, she remained quiet until Emma looked back at her. “I would have looked at you as my hero.”

She shook her head. “I wasn't a hero, Ruby. I was impulsive, and violent.” Images of blood, her blood on her knuckles, his blood on his face, sprayed onto her face by his coughing, two of his teeth on the floor.

“He deserved it.” Ruby said vehemently. Her jaw tightened at the thought of Felix, the foster brother brought in soon after Emma, his shifty eyes and cruel little smile.

“He did. He did and I'd do it again if I had to. But I spent eleven months locked up for what I did to him, and I just... I had to go.”

The brunettes eyes were moist. “I get it. I do. I just... I wished...”

“I know, Rubes.” She said, moving her feet to the floor and pulling the younger woman into a hug. “I know. I didn't know how to be there for you.”

The girl pushed away after a few moments. “You're here now. That was totally by accident, wasn't it.”

Emma chuckled. “Of all the diners in all the towns...”

The brunette grinned back at her. “Fate, huh. She'll get ya in the end. What brought you here?”

The older woman sucked in a breath through her teeth. “I just met my father.”

“What?!” Ruby screeched.

“Yup. I tracked my folks down, went to meet him this morning. He told me where to find my... my mom.” Emma's teeth dragged over her lower lip, the words feeling wrong in her mouth, so unfamiliar and tinged with years of bitterness.

The waitress' mouth hung open. “Well that explains," she puts on a Southern accent " the vapours!" They both smile. "What's he like? What's the story?”

Emma raised her hands, palm up, struggling for a brief summary. “He's... really likeable. A nice, average, family man.”

“He has a family?” Ruby asked, one eye squinting slightly, her head cocking a fraction to the left.

The blonde nodded. “Yeah, wife and teenage son. They know about me already.” Ruby raised her eyebrows. “He didn't, not until ten years after the fact. Reckons he's been waiting for me.”

“I know how he feels.” Ruby said teasingly. Emma cocked an eyebrow. “I always hoped I'd see you again.” She couldn't play that off as nonchalant though because her voice cracked. “I know... I know you were only with us a few months...”

Emma gripped Ruby's hand again. “We'll always have that, Rubes. Out of everywhere I stayed... I know I was already closed off when I came to live with you but... You were different. And then... then I let you down. I didn't just protect you... I channelled all my anger into him. I didn't even see him anymore, I just kept going. I almost killed him.” Her voice rasped with emotion.

“You saved me, that's all I can see, that's all I can know. He choked me until I passed out and if you hadn't been there...” She sucked in a choked breath. “I wish you had, sometimes. Does that make me a monster?”

“No, Rubes. You are not a monster.” Emma assured her. She pulled the girl into her, manoeuvring her onto the sofa next to each other, cradled her as her breaths of the girl, the closest she ever had to a sister, wisped across her throat. “I'm sorry I left you behind.” She whispered.

Eugenia entered with a tray, a large burger and massive pile of fries heaped to the side. “I closed up.” She states, matter-of-factly. “Family emergency.” She looked deep into Emma's wet eyes. “I have more important people to look after today than customers.”

Emma smiled, her appetite having waned due to emotion again, but she grabbed a fry anyway and dunked it in the ketchup. “Thank you, Granny.” And she meant it with all her heart.


	9. Chapter 9

“You're telling me, that you, Emma Swan, Miss Independence, not only met her father today but agreed to meet her father's family, and her once-upon-a-time closest-thing-to-a-family foster mother and sister?” Mulan leaned in towards her computer, taking up most of the webcam field of vision.

“Yeah, I guess. It's a bit weird to hear it like that since there's a generation between Granny and Ruby. She was more like a foster grandmother.” Emma scrunched up half her face and took another swig of her beer. She picked up her laptop and moved it from where it had been while she was chopping vegetables for her casserole to angled next to the cooktop where she was now at the next stage. “Like the saying goes, it never rains when it pours.”

She watched as Rory pulled Mulan back into the sofa, her slim, white fingers wrapped around Mulan's toned bicep. “I think it's wonderful, Emma. You're finally finding your roots.”

The Asian woman turned to her girlfriend, her eyebrows dipped low. “She has roots, Rory. She has us. She's had us for years.”

Emma laughed. “You'll always be my favourite roots.” She frowned at the unintended double entendre. “I mean... well you know what I mean. You two are my family too.”

“We love you, Emma.” Rory said, blowing her a kiss.

Mulan rolled her eyes. “You'd better not forget us, maggot.”

“Shut up. Of course not.” Emma scoffed. “Hang on.” She disappeared out of sight from her best friends as she ducked into the pantry for some spices. “So what's going on with you guys?” She asked, re-appearing into their view.

“That nerdy mature-age zoology student was asking Rory about you.” Mulan said flatly, then winced as Rory dug an elbow in.

“Don't worry, Emma. I didn't tell him anything.” She reassured.

Emma leaned in so her face filled up more of their screen. “Good. Don't. He gives off such a weird vibe.”

"Smell too, spending all that time around monkeys." Mulan grinned and leaned forward again, her elbows resting on her bare knees. “So... speaking of love interests...”

“No!” The blonde said loudly and moved back to the stove to stir the onions.

“No what?” Mulan asked. “No you haven't seen her? No you haven't made a move? No she hasn't put out yet? Or just no you're not gonna tell us about all the times you and her are getting down and dirty?” Her auburn-haired girlfriend slapped her arm.

“Don't listen to her, Emma!” She shouted. Mulan slapped her arm back and the pair began play wrestling. Emma rolled her eyes and added the spices to her food, finding them still wrestling each other when she returned from putting the spices away.

“You know,” She said, pausing from her cooking for a moment. “I could record this footage and sell it.”

Mulan had the upper hand, being a fitness instructor. She was lean and muscular, even moreso than Emma herself, and she had her girlfriend pinned down to the couch beneath her, both of them giggling and paying her no attention.

The doorbell rang and Emma's head jerked up. “Shit, hang on guys, someone's here.” She turned the stove down to simmer and jogged up the hallway, sliding the last half a yard in her fluffy socks. On the other side of the door stood Regina, hair and make-up perfect, still in her pantsuit and heels.

“Hey.” She said, suddenly feeling under-dressed in her own home in her sweatpants and tank-top.

“Hello.” Regina replied. “I brought you back your plate.” She held it out in front of her. “Thank you for the cupcakes, they were delicious.”

Emma smiled and took the offered plate. “You're welcome.” She stepped back and opened the door wider. “Please, come in.”

They stared at each other a moment and Emma's heart stilled. She had no reason to invite the woman in, she had only been returning her plate. Henry also wasn't there so it was likely he was upstairs alone, and Regina would return to him. She was just about to try to figure out what to say when Regina stepped inside. “Thank you.” She said as she passed Emma and walked down the hallway into the kitchen.

Emma closed the door and followed the woman.

“Daaaaaaaaaaamn.” Came the quiet, disembodied voice of her best friend.

The blonde ran forward and slipped past the brunette, who had taken notice of the women on the laptop. The plate clanged as it hit the counter. “We can hear you!” She hissed at them. 

She smiled apologetically at her neighbour. “Regina, these are my roommates from Portland, Mulan and Rory.” The pair were still lying on the sofa, both sets of eyes trained on the screen. “Get off her, Mulan!” She hissed.

The pair scrambled back into a normal seated position side by side. “Hi Regina!” Rory said cheerfully, followed by a less cheery but still friendly “Hey Regina.” from Mulan.

The brunette was caught off guard. “Hello, ladies.” She said, then awkwardly took a step back and faced Emma. “I'm sorry, if I'm interrupting...”

“No!” She insisted. “Not at all, I was just saying goodbye to these two.”

“You were?” Mulan asked in jest. Emma threw her a look that was not lost on Regina.

Rory pushed Mulan to the side with surprising strength. “It was lovely to speak with you, Emma. We'll have to do it again soon. Call anytime!”

“Yep, I will!” She said, and leaned forward to move the curser to the little red receiver disconnect button. “Bye guys!”

“Bye Emma!” Rory said, waving her tiny hand.

“Later, nerd!” Said Mulan, tugging Rory into a hug. Emma hung up just as she was about to plant a kiss on her girlfriend's lips.

“They're adorable.” Regina said softly. “You must miss them a lot.”

The blonde scoffed. “Adorable? You try living with them!” She said, rolling her eyes. “Constantly having to break up their macking out and send them to their room. Then having to do something noisy to block out the sounds coming from their room.” She stopped as the blush rose across her face.

The older woman emitted a deep chuckle. “I see.”

“I do miss them though.” Emma said, stirring the pot slowly, the sound of the chunky chickpea stew's bubbling the only noise for a few moments.

“Henry would like for you to come to his soccer game again on Saturday.” Regina said from behind her. “Post-game breakfast included of course, if you do.”

“No.” Emma said, and turned to face the older woman with a soft expression. “It's my turn to buy you breakfast this time.” She smiled.

Regina leaned back against the opposite counter. “So that's a yes, then?”

“Yes.” Said the blonde. They smiled at each other. Emma propped the wooden spoon across the top of the steaming pot. “I was wondering if we could talk sometime this week though. Maybe one night after work?”

The brunette's face tightened and she swallowed. “About what?”

Emma looked down at her socked feet and scuffed them against the floor. “You know how I told you I moved back east to find my birth parents?” She asked, not looking at her. “Well, I met my... father today.”

Regina pushed away from the counter but didn't close the distance between them. “Oh! How did it go?”

The blonde looked up into the dark brown eyes, full of curiosity. “Fine, it was good. I just... well I wondered if you'd have a night free to talk. Over a few stiff drinks, maybe.” She added with a wry smile.

The older woman nodded gently. “Yes, of course.” 

“Just not tonight,” Emma sighed. “It's been a massive day.”

“Oh, I apologize, I'm sorry for imposing.” The brunette replied.

Emma reached out and let her fingers glance across Regina's forearm. “No, I don't mean... I'm glad you're here. I just feel... I need to process everything that's happened. I met him, and then I happened to run into my foster sister and her grandmother. I fainted in the middle of a diner,” Emma chuckled. “It's just been a big day and I want to have another beer, eat my dinner and sleep for about seventeen hours.”

The shocked expression on the older woman's face slipped into concern. “You fainted? Are you okay?” She reached out, then dropped her hand again to her side.

Tucking her hair behind her ear, Emma replied, “I'm fine. Really.”

Regina stiffened. “Well if you need anything...”

“Thanks. Thank you.”

The brunette walked back toward the door with the blonde behind her. She opened the door and stepped into the hall.

“Goodnight, Regina.” Emma said with a smile, leaning on the doorframe.

Regina stood awkwardly a few paces from the door, half about to leave. She exhaled out her nose, her eyes soft and round. “Goodnight, Emma.”

Emma watched her walk up to the elevator and smiled at her one last time before she disappeared into the lift.


	10. Chapter 10

The next evening Regina kept her phone close to her and checked it for messages regularly enough that Henry had asked during dinner who she was expecting a call from. She suspected he knew her reply that it was work related was a lie, but he didn't call her on it. For the remainder of the meal she paid extra attention to Henry and ignored her phone.

After she tucked him into bed, she picked up her phone again and pondered whether or not to send a message to her Emma. They hadn't defined when they would talk, but Regina was curious why the blonde wanted to talk to her. They barely knew each other, and she had interrupted her talking to her best friends, most likely about the encounter with her father. There seemed to be more behind Emma's request to talk than to simply recount events.

She flinched as the vibration of an incoming message jolted her from her thoughts.

_[20:44] Hey. I never actually asked when you were available to talk._

_**[20:44] Hello. Henry is asleep, so I am available right now, if it's not too late for you.** _

_[20:45] Oh! Tonight, yeah okay. If that's okay with you?_

_**[20:46] I believe I was the one who suggested it, Miss Swan.** _

_[20:47] Right, yes. I'll be up in a few minutes._

Regina busied herself straightening the cushions and checked her hair in the large, round mirror hanging in the foyer. She re-applied her lipstick, and adjusted the pleating around the neck of her pale grey dress and swiveled the thin, black belt at her waist so the buckle was centered. 

There was a soft knock on the door, and she looked through the peephole then opened the door to her neighbour, standing in her usual skinny jeans and brown boots, a sheer grey knitted sweater over a white tank-top visible under her unzipped red leather jacket. Her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, her hands tucked in her back pockets. “Hi.”

The younger woman smiled, though Regina noted the tension in her face. She returned the smile and opened the door wider for the blonde to enter. “How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?”

“Got anything stronger?” Emma asked. Her eyes widened as she stepped over the threshold and onto the black and grey tiled floor. “Whoa...” she murmured, her eyes taking in the high ceilings and elegantly appointed apartment. Directly in front of her were french doors leading out onto a patio area, with timber flooring and low fencing, it's subtle lighting highlighting the urban oasis filled with greenery and flowers. As her eyes drifted left past the darkened alcove under the stairs, she saw a gourmet kitchen, stainless steel appliances, marble counter, steel drop light fittings. Behind it she could see a doorway, and through it a dining table. 

Turning to the right was a large living room, Against the far wall was large fireplace, a black cast iron hearth, and black lamps positioned either side. Above it stood a large, white horse statue, one leg raised out in front of it. A large, white sofa faced the fireplace, a black and white rug stretched in front of it, under a black-framed, glass coffee table. The staircase which rose up and to the left must have lead to the bedrooms on a mezzanine floor, as above the living area the ceiling wasn't quite two storeys high, but probably not far off. A large chandelier hung, with black lampshades over every bulb. The large windows at the end of the room were covered by sheer white curtains, lights from the city somewhat visible through them, while the heavy black and white patterned drapes hung at either end. 

The wallpaper was throughout was white, with grey branches from rising from floor to ceiling. Emma could see how it would appeal to someone who hadn't grown up in the city, it was elegant and modern, but had gave it an almost forest-like feel to the space. Photos where hung in black frames with white mat boards. Emma walked into the apartment in a daze. “This place is massive! Am I even still in the same building?” She exclaimed in awe.

Regina smiled and closed the door, locking the door handle and sliding across the bolt. “Yes, dear.” She walked into the kitchen and she returned with two lowball glasses with ice, her black heels clicking on the tiled floor. “Please, follow me.” She paused at a buffet next to the dining room and retrieved a bottle of liquor from the cabinet, pouring a couple of fingers into each.

She lead them to the alcove under the stairs, which lead to a door directly ahead and one to the left. Regina opened the door in front and stepped inside, stopping to hold it open for Emma, then closed it behind her. This room had a darker tone, with mahogany wall panels and one wall was entirely bookshelves. It was warmly lit, though, and the cream coloured sofa lightened up the furnishings. 

From one of the shelves she picked up a small remote control and directed it at the fireplace in the corner of the room. It sprung to life as if by magic, Emma quickly realising the realistic looking logs were not, and that it was gas fire. She sat on one of the sofas and after taking a sip, placed her tumbler on the wooden coffee table in front of her. Regina sat opposite her, placed her glass on the table also, and brushed her hair off her face before resting her hands in her lap.

Emma smiled at the light reflected in Regina's eyes from the fireplace behind her, and the small pearl drop earrings shining out from under the dark locks, almost black in this light. She really was a stunningly beautiful woman.

“So...” Regina began, when Emma didn't say anything. “You met your biological father.”

The blonde sighed. “Yeah.” Regina waited, wondering for a moment if she were going to have to keep prodding. “Yeah, I did. He, umm, well here's the thing. He said my mother, well that they met while he was on vacation, but she was local,” She saw confusion cross the older woman's face and realised how disjointed her words sounded. She took another breath. “She's from Storybrooke.” She watched Regina's eyebrows race up.

“Storybrooke, Maine?” She asked.

“Are there more?” She deadpanned, then noticed Regina was thinking about the answer. “Yeah, Maine. Storybrooke, Maine. It's a pretty small town, right? I thought... well I thought maybe you might know her.”

“I can't say I'm aware of anyone having adopted out a baby, I'm afraid. It is a rather small town, I'm sure that gossip would have gone around.”

Emma shrugged. “Maybe, but you're not much older than me, maybe you were too young. Do you know Mary-Margaret White? Or Blanchard, as she goes by now?” The way the colour drained from Regina's face gave Emma her answer. “You do.”

The brunette nodded. “I do. Not well, but I know of her, and I had no idea.”

“What do you know about her?” Emma asked, picking up her glass of whisky and taking a large sip.

Regina rubbed her hands down her thighs and then picked up her own glass, cradling it in her hands rather than drinking from it. “She's the daughter of the former mayor, a teacher at the elementary school. I'm sorry, I don't know her all that well, Henry was never in her class." She thought again. "When I was about fourteen she caught my friend and I smoking one day after school, I promised her I never would again and she promised to not tell our parents. We were lying, of course. That was about the extent of our interactions. We were in different social circles. She's... a nice person.”

The blonde chuckled. “You say 'nice' as though it's an insult.”

“I don't trust people who are overly nice to everyone.” Regina said, and took a sip.

“You don't seem to trust people very much at all.” Emma pointed out jokingly.

The corner of a dark pink lip pulled up slightly in a smile. “I work in politics, dear. Of course I don't trust anyone.”

Emma cocked her head to the side. “Yeah, what exactly is it that you do again? You brushed me off with a diversion last time I asked.”

This time Regina's smile was wider. “I did.” She admitted. “I work for the City of Boston in the Intergovernmental Relations department.”

“The what now?”

“The hub between city government and local councils, and the state and federal governments.” The brunette explained. 

“I see. You moved here for that job?” Emma asked, realising only now how many times the brunette had distracted Emma away from asking her questions about herself.

“I did. I worked for the Mayor's office in Storybrooke before that.”

The blonde's green eyes blinked and she shook her head softly side to side. “You worked for the Mayor? My... mother's father?”

“Oh, no dear. No. He died soon after Henry was born. The councillors replaced him with a local businessman, Paul Gold. I worked for him, however that arrangement soured last year when the citizens approved a referendum my mother had pushed through, allowing the Mayor to be elected by the people and have more autonomy rather than appointed as basically just a ceremonial position by the councillors.”

“I can see how he wouldn't be too happy about that if he wasn't confident he'd be the one elected.” Emma chuckled.

Regina smiled. “Yes, he recommended me for my current job after he was ousted in the election.”

“You were too loyal to him to stay on with the new Mayor?” She inquired.

“Not exactly. The elected Mayor was my mother.” She chuckled at the younger woman's surprised expression. “My mother and I, well it is better if we're not in close proximity to each other for extended periods.” She watched as Emma took another hearty sip of her drink, and sipped her own. “Who is your father?” She asked after a few long moments. “Would I know him?”

The blonde shrugged. “His name is David Nolan. He said he spent summers and Christmases there with his wife's family. The Kings, I think he said? Kathryn and Fred?”

Regina's eyes widened. “He must be Albert Spencer Nolan's son.”

“You do know him then?”

She shook her head. “No, I never met him. Your mother's father, Leopold White, was part of the old-money old-boys-club that had their fingers in everything in Storybrooke and the local area since they took over the mantle from their fathers. The others were Albert Spencer Nolan, although he was a federal prosecutor based in Boston and kept his finger in the pie only from a distance. The third was Aurelio King. He was also Boston based for a long time, but he moved back to Storybrooke not long after his son died.”

“That Gold dude wasn't part of their group?” Emma asked, trying to not lose track of the connections.

“No, he's Scottish, he immigrated with little, set up a successful business and started purchasing real-estate. He became a self-made millionaire though wise strategic moves. He and Mother actually worked together to some degree, although Mother couldn't figure out why they appointed him to Mayor after White died, rather than King. She suspected some dirty deals were going on behind closed doors, but she never had any proof.” Regina pondered the thought. “From what I saw, his agreements were sometimes morally grey but he always found some way to get what he wanted done legally, or legally block something he didn't want done.”

“Is your mother old money?” Emma asked innocently, then immediately felt bad when the Regina's jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed. “I mean obviously you... you have money, looking at this place, but she sounds like a real social justice warrior which makes me think maybe she's not.”

The woman hesitated. “Storybrooke has quite a range, from the very rich to very poor, my mother grew up quite poor. My father is from Puerto Rico where his family own a large textiles company, so he had money. It wasn't as much, as old, or as local as those in the old boys network.”

Regina gestured to Emma's empty glass. “Would you like another?” At the younger woman's nod, she took the glass and left the room to re-fill it. Emma leaned back in her chair and puffed her cheeks out in an exaggerated exhale. She let the knowledge sink in, her father was the only son of old money, her mother the daughter of the old money, dead ex-Mayor. Yet she had grown up with second hand clothes, shoes with holes in them, only a stolen library book (Matilda) and her knitted baby blanket to call her own. She blinked away the sting of tears and gratefully accepted the offered drink, topped up with fresh ice and more full than the first.

“Tell me more about Storybrooke. The fun stuff. What's there to do there other than get knee deep in town politics?” She joked, desperately needing to lighten her mood. The brunette sat back down opposite her and began to tell her about the town, it's residents and her own and Henry's childhoods there.

Half an hour later, Regina padded up the stairs, shoes in her hand, having just said goodnight to Emma. She sat at her dresser and looked at herself in the mirror as she took out her earrings. Looking at the clock she determined it wasn't too late, so she moved to sit on the bed, picked up her phone and dialed.

“Hello darling,” came a woman's silken voice down the line.

“Hello Mother,” Regina said in greeting. “I would like for you to tell me how and why you were involved in the adoption of Mary-Margaret's baby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! Cora! Ah, how I love Cora. More from her later.  
> I hope you enjoy the character coming up next...


	11. Chapter 11

She saw it as soon as she walked in the door, the basket sitting on top of the buffet hutch. She flung her hand out and caught Henry by the strap of his backpack and pulled the boy back against her. 

"Hey!" He cried out in surprise.

She turned to lead him back out the door when an accented voice from behind her caused her to flinch. “A gift. From your favourite aunt to my favourite niece.” The long-term Boston resident still sounded as freshly English as she ever had.

Regina turned and watched the woman drain the last of a small cordial glass of clear liqueur, her body posed like a model in her black leather dress, the belt cinched tightly around her small waist, the sheer forest green blouse tied on the coffee table, still holding onto Henry. "Aunt Zelena! You're back!" His mother released him and he happily trotted into the living room to hug the tall woman.

"Hello, Henry!" She said warmly, her arms wrapped around his small shoulders. "Have you been good while I've been away?"

He nods enthusiastically. "Yes, haven't I, Mom?"

"Yes," she agrees, "he has been very good."

"Wonderful," the redhead exclaims. "Then you'll be delighted to know there is a present for you up on your bed. Go on." She shooed him away and he ran up the stairs, his backpack flung carelessly towards the kitchen where he knew his mother would request he empty out any food items and packaging before he did his homework. 

They heard the tearing of paper. "Wow! Thanks Aunt Zelena!" He shouted down at her from his bedroom.

Regina crossed her arms and took a step toward the older woman. “What are you doing here?” 

Walking toward the fireplace, Zelena tilted her head down and stared directly at Regina from under the brim of her black fedora. "Is that any way to welcome a guest?" She picked up one of the small coral-like statues and examined it curiously.

"A guest?" Regina scoffed. "The spare keys you have are for emergencies."

"And here I was thinking you'd be pleased to see me." The tall woman pouted. "I had a look at your wine collection, I brought you something better. Vinho verde, crisp and light, hand delivered to you all the way from Portugal."

The woman replaced the statue onto the shelf and walked towards Regina, hips swaying. She stopped in front of the younger woman, reached out and tipped Regina's chin up with her hand. "Hello Regina."

The brunette smiled softly. "Welcome back, Zelena." She opened her arms and pulled the woman in for a brief, tight hug.

Zelena pulled back but kept her hands on Regina's shoulders. "Is everything okay? You seem a little more uptight than usual."

Regina shrugged off the contact and walked toward the kitchen, the black tie of her Roland Mouret dress danced across her exposed back. She picked up Henry's backpack and removed his lunchbox and drink bottle. "It's nothing. To what do I owe the honour of your presence?"

"I can't just want to see my niece after a long, stressful business trip?" she asked innocently.

Regina raised a single eyebrow. "Business trip? You were lying on the beaches of Spain and Portugal for three weeks. I saw your Facebook photos." She narrowed her eyes. "I still don't understand how you can be so pale and not return from your business trips as red as a lobster."

Zelena cocked an eyebrow. "Lobsters have blue blood, did you know that?" The redhead sat at one of the bar stools at the counter.

"You and Mother may act as though you are nobility, but that is all it is – an act." Regina scoffed.

Zelena scowled in mock offence. "Yes, well you haven't had lobster until you have had the rock lobster at Quinzi & Gabrieli in Rome."

The younger woman shook her head. "You didn't come here to talk to me about lobsters. Why are you really here?"

"I arrived back state-side yesterday afternoon and was very much looking forward to settling in to my own bed for an early night, which is why I was most displeased to be woken from said early night by a late night phone call from your mother." Zelena's blue eyes didn't leave Regina's face as the younger woman tried to piece together what was going on.

"Why did she call you?" Regina asked.

"Why did you call her?" Zelena countered.

"What does my conversation with her have to do with you?" Regina volleyed.

Both women narrowed their eyes at each other, their similarly competitive natures and long history of encounters proving that they were an equal match lead to fierce bantering at every opportunity.

Zelena sighed. "She said you refused to tell her what you knew about Mary-Margaret's pregnancy or how you found out about it after all these years."

"She thought you told me." Regina asked. "You knew."

"I want to know why you are asking questions about it." The women eyed each intently, then Zelena raised her hands in mock surrender. "Look, there are things I can tell you, and am allowed to and willing to tell you. Mary-Margaret and I talk, and not everything is as secretive as it once was."

"You talk to Mary-Margaret?" Regina sneered.

Zelena rolled her eyes. "The thing is, Regina, is I need to know why you are asking now. Is it in some sort of official capacity?"

Realisation dawned on Regina and she huffed out a breath and a wry smile curled at her lips. "Let me guess, you and Mother were embroiled in something quite legally grey. Am I correct?" Zelena pursed her lips and dipped her head, bright eyes still locked on Regina under the brim of her hat. "No, I am not asking in any official capacity whatsoever."

Her aunt relaxed. "Good. So why the bloody hell are you bringing this up now?"

The younger woman sighed. "I have, by pure coincidence, become friends with the child."

Zelena touched her hand to heart. "Well, well." She murmured with a smile. "What a small world."

"Now will you tell me what you know?" Regina asked, exasperation creeping into her tone.

Instead of replying, Zelena stood and walked to the buffet, gathered another glass and the bottle of Manzana Verde Briottot. She tipped her head to the younger woman and walked into the living room. "Come and have a drink with me." She poured Regina's then re-filled her own glass. Regina sat on the sofa and sipped the strong liqueur, and waited for her aunt's explanation.

"As you know, my parents were living in England when I was born..."

"The short version, please Zelena. Please keep in mind I have a hungry son to prepare dinner for this evening." Regina interrupted.

Zelena scowled but continued without comment. "...and I was shipped back there to boarding as a teenager. When I returned to the US in my late twenties, I discovered that not only was I not officially a US citizen, but ineligible to become one. You see, I was a bit of a wild child, and I took a while to grow out of my wicked ways. I had a reputation that did not bode well with Immigration officials."

"A criminal record?" Regina guessed.

Zelena nodded. "I was faced with the prospect of not being allowed to remain in the same country as my family, something I was not exactly thrilled about as you can imagine."

"You seem to escape our presence and jet off to exotic locations at every opportunity." Regina dead-panned.

"Choosing to take a holiday is very different to forced separation, Regina." Zelena replied in mock condescension. "An opportunity arose for my slate to be cleared, and I took it. The cost was to take in a shamefully pregnant teenage girl, look after her for a year, and to never speak of it to anyone."

Regina took a larger swig of her drink and, feeling the burn, cleared her throat. "You took care of Mary-Margaret while she was pregnant."

"She and I grew close, although of course we had to keep our friendship quiet as we otherwise had no reason to have ever even met." She stared into her drink. "I am not sure you should speak much if any of this to your friend, however."

The brunette also wasn't sure, but asked anyway. "Why not?"

Zelena leaned back in the tub chair and raised her arms to rest on the high sides. "Do you really know who you're dealing with? Are you sure it was pure coincidence that you suddenly met this friend, this woman with a strange connection to your wealthy family?" Regina scowled at her, insecurities flaring. "I'm just concerned for you, Regina. What if she intends to blackmail you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Zelena too!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: brief mention of prior violence and attempted rape

Regina squirted surface spray on the counter and wiped it down again, the menial tasks she had been briskly doing since she and Henry had arrived home provided an outlet for the energy coursing through her veins. Her thoughts swirled with the new information, her emotions flared with anger, mistrust, and despair.

Ever since she received the file that afternoon containing the information she had called in as a favour from her police liaison PR contact, Sidney Glass, she had been burning up. She checked the lasagna in the oven and adjusted the temperature down. The salad was cut and dressed, and resting in the refrigerator. She sighed, and decided there was only one thing to do.

"Henry," She said, leaning on the doorway into the study where Henry was sitting at her desk, his homework spread out in front of him. The fireplace burned in the corner, warming the air. "I'm just going to step out for a minute. Keep doing your homework and we'll have dinner as soon as I'm back." 

The boy looked up at her from under his increasingly shaggy brown hair. "Where are you going?"

"Just downstairs, Henry. I won't be long." She pushed herself off the door frame. "Don't answer the door to anyone."

He nodded and watched her leave, his eyes narrowing after she turned her back.

In her apartment downstairs, it was sheer luck that Emma didn't drop her dinner as she fumbled the plate while juggling the foaming beer she just opened and the TV remote. "It's a boy!" She said to herself, and licked the foam streaming down the side of the bottle. She carefully placed the items on the coffee table and flopped down on the sofa, and sighed in relief that the week was over with a decent paycheck and zero injuries. 

She placed her socked feet up and reached to undo the button on her jeans, but startled at the sound of a rapping at her door. She stood up and noticed the damp patch on her tank-top, almost see-through, where the beer foam had wet it. She dabbed at it as she walked with the bottom of her tank to little effect.

Regina stood outside her door, hand raised, about to knock again. Emma smiled. "Hey."

The brunette's expression was cold, but not as cold as her tone of voice. "Miss Swan." 

Emma stepped back and held the door open, frowning in curious concern. "Have I done something?" She asked.

The woman walked briskly past her into the apartment, turning on her heel to face the blonde. "It seems that you have, as a matter of fact." 

The blonde crossed her arms in front of her chest defensively. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

Regina ignored the question. "I am revoking my invitation to you to attend Henry's soccer game tomorrow, and all games in future. I request that you avoid contact with him and myself."

Emma's mouth fell open and she raised her hands up in front of her, palms out. "Whoa, Regina. Wait a minute. What brought this on? What is it that you think I have done?"

The older woman scowled at her. "I know what you have done, the question is what do you intend to do next?"

"Lady, you have completely lost me." Irritation seeped through into Emma's voice, and she dropped her hands to her hips.

"Four." Regina said, her eyes beginning to spark, one eyebrow rising in challenge.

Emma shook her head. "Four what?"

"That's how many times you have been arrested. Four. Grand theft auto, shoplifting, but most worrisome were the assault and the assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm." She leaned forward, her upper lip arched in a snarl. "Not exactly role model material for my son, are you, dear."

The blonde's jaw clenched and released, and her fingers dug into her own flesh at her waist. "You investigated me?"

"Of course I did, dear. One must know who they are dealing with." Regina stood tall, the initial anger had released leaving a cockiness to her attitude now that Emma was firmly on the back foot.

"Well it seems I over-estimated you too, since the GBH was on my juvie record and is therefore sealed, you sourced your information illegally. And here I was thinking you were someone who played by the rules." 

"When the safety of my son is at stake, I make my own rules." The woman's deep brown eyes were darker than Emma had ever seen them.

She scoffed. "And what I'm going to do next? What, do you think I'm going to teach your kid how to boost a car or get away with a five finger discount?"

"Have you forgotten I found you picking the lock into your own apartment only weeks ago?" Regina threw back.

"My own apartment, Regina!"

"You were on your way to break into mine!"

"Only to help Henry!"

"Henry is none of your concern, Miss Swan."

"That doesn't mean I won't continue to care about him, Regina." She swallowed thickly. "My childhood was rough. I got into some trouble before I got my life together. Can't you understand my past is just that – in the past? It isn't who I am now."

"The assault was two years ago." Her back straightened even further as she stared slightly down at the younger woman from her high-heeled perch.

"Yeah and the charges were also dropped." She turned and ran her fingers through her hair. "Jesus, Regina. Don't you even care why? You just got a list and made your judgments about me?"

"Your motivations do not interest me. I will not have my son associating with a known criminal." Regina moved to walk past Emma, but she was stopped by a hand on her bicep. "Unhand me." She growled. 

Emma paused, looking her directly in the eye for a moment before she did so. "Grievous bodily harm. I beat up a foster brother who I caught attempting to rape my eleven year old foster sister. I did eleven months for it because apparently self-defense means you're only allowed to do just enough that they probably can't catch you when you attempt to get away, not breaking jaws and fracturing skulls."

She continued when Regina made no move to continue to the door. "Grand theft auto was for when the guy who gave me a ride when I was hitch-hiking west was arrested, charges were dropped because there was a witness who saw just him steal the car, and a service station attendant who confirmed he picked me up from there.

"The shoplifting was legit. I was a runaway, once I was released from juvie. I couldn't go back to a group home, I just couldn't. I ran west, only I had nothing and no one. I stole a box of pop-tarts. Turned out the cop knew the store owner and she told him my story. He dropped the charges and gave me two grocery bags of food and a ride to a shelter."

The older woman's eyes were still cool, her face blank of emotion. "The assault was a bail-jumper who ran straight into a lamppost trying to get away from me and then tried to screw me over to sue me by saying I broke his eye socket. Footage from an ATM across the street forced him to drop charges there too. So yeah, I've done some shit, and if you want to hold it against me then that's your prerogative. But if you want to judge me for that while you hang around in your political circles with the real criminals who have no trouble screwing everyone over from working class to oppressed minorities every day before they clock off and drive their BMW back to their mansions, that's on you."

Regina stared at the woman, cheeks flushed, chest heaving. Hazel-flecked green eyes, bright with anger, stared straight back at her. She felt the doubt creeping back in, the hope that maybe she had been wrong, but then her comment about her being part of a system screwing people over made her wonder if she was speaking in general terms or specifically about her family.

"Stay away from my son." She said, then with one final stare at her neighbour, she turned on her heel and let herself out.

Emma stared at the closed door, still breathing heavily, the rage of accusation pulsing through her. She turned and picked up the small vase containing artificial flowers that sat atop the side table and threw it at the kitchen cupboard. The porcelain smashed and fell to the ground, the flowers and dry foam bouncing slightly as they landed. She thumped her hands on the counter, dropped her head down, and breathed deeply to keep the stinging tears at bay.

Upstairs, Regina composed herself, tucked her hair behind her ear and re-entered the penthouse. She checked on Henry, who had apparently finished his homework and was now up in his bedroom playing with the Nintendo DS that Zelena had bought him. He grudgingly put it down and agreed to set the table, as she dished up the lasagna and salad onto their plates.

"Did you need help with anything in your homework?" She asked him at the table.

He shook his head. "No, it was easy." He asked, pushing a cherry tomato around his plate with his fork. His brown eyes peeked up at her from under his hair. "What did you go downstairs for?" 

Regina dabbed her mouth with her napkin. "We'll talk about that in the morning. Eat your salad, Henry, don't just spread it around you plate."

"Emma is still going to come to soccer in the morning, right?" He asked, his eyes not leaving her face.

She smiled at him, forced and noncommittally. "There are only three more games this season. Have you thought about whether you want to continue with soccer and join the spring season, or try another sport?"

He scrunched up his face. "I'm getting better. I think I want to play soccer again. If August and Paige are too."

"Paige. Is she the girl you were paired up with for warm-ups and cool-downs at training this week?" Regina asked, remembering the young girl, pretty, with the large brown eyes and dark blonde hair, held back from her face with a braid, a purple ribbon tied at the end.

Her son nodded. "Yes, that's her. She's really nice." 

Regina hummed in approval. "Her father is the man who is always dressed very nicely."

Henry giggled. "Yes. She said he has a whole section of his closet just for scarves." He popped a mouthful of pasta in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "He's gay though, so don't get any ideas."

His mother coughed slightly and cleared her throat. "Excuse me?"

"I just mean, well you dress nicely too, but I thought I should tell you in case you wanted him to be your boyfriend." He watched his mother as he ate another mouthful.

"Henry, I'm not looking for a boyfriend." She said affectionately. "I'm happy with it just being me and you."

He put his fork down. "I wouldn't mind, Mom. If you did. You've been alone forever."

Knowing it wasn't entirely true, Regina chose to not correct him. "Does Paige have another father too?" She asked, deflecting.

"No. Just him." Henry said. "So is Emma going to come tomorrow?"

She looked at her son, his hazel eyes fixed with intent, and she silently cursed his intelligence and perceptiveness. She sighed in resignation. "No, Henry. She will not, and I don't think it is a good idea for you to be spending time with her."

His fingers clenched tightly around his fork. "Why not?" He growled.

She placed her knife and fork onto her plate and looked him in the eye. "Sometimes people aren't who you think they are, Henry. Sometimes people aren't so good."

"Emma is good!" He shouted. "Can't you see? She is a good person!"

"You don't know that, Henry." Regina said, her voice steady and quiet. "You can't always believe what someone says is true."

"I believe in her!" His voice rose even louder. His chair scraped backwards as he stood up hurriedly. "You're evil! You took me away from all my friends and now you're doing it again!" Hot tears burned in his eyes as he ran from the room and pounded up the stairs. The door to his bedroom slammed shut behind him.

Regina cleared the table, scraped the remainder of her dinner into the bin and covered Henry's with cling film, placing it in the refrigerator in case he wanted to finish it later. She cleaned the kitchen, poured herself a large glass of wine, and retreated out onto the patio. The cold seeped through her skin, reached down to her bones. The pain was a pleasant distraction from her thoughts as she gazed at the city lights, a poor substitute for the stars that amid the light pollution of Boston she could no longer see twinkling above her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm. Does the alternating perspectives work for you? I wanted to try it.


	13. Chapter 13

She was tempted to leave the engine running and the heater, as weak as it was, running on full to warm the icy car, but decided against it. In her line of work, she knew the kind of people out on the streets, even at this hour. Locking it up, she jogged through the cool, pre-dawn air up the stairs to the door, and the bell rang as she stepped through it into the dimly lit diner. Banging and clanging of breakfast service preparations in full swing emanated from the kitchen.

"Hello!" She called out, and a head popped out from behind the kitchen door.

"Good morning Emma!" Said the grey-haired woman. "Come on back, she's nearly ready."

The blonde followed her through the swinging door and was met by the divine aroma of freshly baked bread and steaming coffee. A low moan escaped her, as did a growl from her stomach. She reached for one of the bread rolls cooling on a rack, but her hand was slapped away by Eugenia who Emma didn't notice was behind her.

"I've already packed more than enough for you two." She scolded and waggled her finger in the blonde's face. "Hungry like wolves, you two. All the time. I remember."

Emma shook the mild sting from her hand and tucked it back into the pocket of her jeans. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to greet her one-time foster sister, trotting down the corridor towards her. She looked far more demure today than she had when they had first encountered each other as adults, in her black jeans and boots, silky red button-up shirt, and a furry grey jacket.

"Hey Em!" She exclaimed, seeming to Emma to be far too awake and chirpy for such an early hour. The younger woman leaned down, kissed Emma on her cheek, and draped an arm around her shoulder. "Ready to roll?"

Emma dropped her head onto Ruby's shoulder and closed her eyes. She was tired, but something about the brunette's embrace felt so natural that she felt herself melt right into her. They had clicked instantly when they were younger, despite Emma's guarded nature and reluctance to get close to anyone in an attempt to save herself the heartbreak of the inevitable separation when she would be sent away again. "Yeah, Rubes. Let's hit the road."

"Emma Swan, you drive safe. You hear me?" Granny asked, a spatula raised and pointing at Emma's face. Emma nodded and was dragged into a tight hug by the older woman. "It'll be okay." Eugenia murmured into her ear. 

"Thanks, Granny." Emma said softly. 

Ruby reached around behind Emma and picked up two takeaway coffees in a holder. She handed them to Emma, and then picked up a wicker basket, it's contents hidden by a red cloth tucked in over them. The pair ventured out into the cold, their breaths puffing steamy clouds into the early light.

"I'm glad you agreed come with me." Emma said softly.

Ruby chuckled. "Don't be a sap. Of course I'd come with you. You always talked about going on adventures, now we finally get to have one together." She reached over and squeezed the blonde's cold hand, expressing the rest of her reply silently.

Emma smiled back at her, then plucked a cinnamon roll from the basket before Ruby leaned around to place it in the back seat. She sat in her seat, her own cinnamon roll in one hand and a small, red, glass wolf in the other, which she hung from the rear view mirror. "It's good luck." She said with a shrug. Emma smiled, dropped the car into gear and they set out, hitting the I95 North in no time.

The bug rolled into the small town a little after 10:30am, it's optimum speed being slightly below the speed limit, and having stopped briefly in Portland to re-fuel, stretch their legs and use the restroom. They also missed the turn-off to the coastal road and had had to double back. They cruised up the main street, looking at all the shops and the few people milling about as they did, then looped around at the end and came back to what appeared to be the heart of it.

Ruby looked over at Emma, her mask of confidence not quite in place. She nudged their shoulders together. "Bet you wish you had your personal Storybrooke tour guide now."

"Not particularly." Emma replied gruffly.

The younger woman released her seatbelt and stretched her arms out in front of her. "I know, I know. I only had to listen to you whinge about her for the past three and a half hours."

"I did not whinge about her for three and a half hours. You asked why we fought and why this trip was so last minute and so I told you." Emma defended.

Ruby groaned. "Yes, and then every time there was a moment of silence you brought up something else about her or Henry to talk about."

The blonde scowled at her. "Did not."

Ruby just grinned. "Shall we go and explore?"

The blonde breathed deeply then nodded, opened her door and climbed out. She stretched her arms above her head, her black turtleneck rode up, and she un-zipped her blue leather jacket to tug it back down. She adjusted her beanie, curls spilling out beneath it, and turned to see a uniformed man approaching Ruby. 

"Hello, ladies." His voice was friendly, his accent soft, British. 

The younger woman grinned widely, running her tongue over her bright red lips. "Hello, Sheriff..." she trailed off.

"Graham." He replied. "Graham Humbert. And you are?"

"Ruby," The brunette said then gestured to the blonde, "and Emma."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ruby and Emma. Welcome to Storybrooke." He said warmly.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Are we that obvious? Or did I just forget to remove the giant tourist sticker from my bumper?" She walked around the rear of the car and stood beside her friend.

The man smiled at her. "I'd remember two beautiful women such as yourselves." He said. "Also, your very bright and distinctive car has Massachusetts plates, and the map book on the dashboard is also a dead giveaway."

"You're very observant! That's a great trait for a law enforcement officer." Ruby cooed.

Emma adjusted her stance and squinted slightly, the morning sun behind him shining in her eyes. "Actually, Sheriff, maybe you can help us out. I'm looking for Sister Mary-Margaret. Do you know where she'd be, or where the church or convent or whatever is?"

The tall man chuckled. "Sister Mary-Margaret, hey?" He rubbed his short beard. "May I ask why it is that you are looking for her?"

"Family business." Emma replied firmly, her tone clear she didn't wish to reveal any further information. 

He eyed her with curiosity. "First off, she isn't really a sister, she only works closely with the Mother Superior on her many community initiatives. Second, I just passed her a few minutes ago, over at the school yard giving a few of kids archery lessons." Emma and Ruby's postures both straightened. He pointed behind him. Take a left at the second street, the school is about fifty yards down on the right."

Ruby placed her hand on Emma's shoulder. "Thank you, Sheriff. Maybe we'll see you around." She winked at him and lead the quiet blonde down the street. "Come on, Em." She said after a minute. "This is it!"

They walked in silence, Ruby pressed into Emma's side, their fingers woven together. At the edge of the school ground they stopped. On the opposite side of the field against the wall of the school hall leaned three targets. Twenty or so yards back was a dark haired woman, and a quiver of arrows slung across her back. With her were two children, a shoulder-height blonde girl, and a shorter, dark-haired boy.

Ruby gave her hand a squeeze, then a gentle nudge. "I'll be right here. Go." She glanced appreciatively at her friend, and took a step toward her mother. As she approached, she took in the older woman's appearance. She wore high, black boots over tan jodhpurs, and a white turtleneck underneath a thick, brown fleece vest that had a fur trim around the collar. Her long, wavy locks hung loose over her shoulders.

She was leaning forward, adjusting the girl's stance as she held the bow, arrow loaded and ready to launch. "Don't focus on the target, Ava, you'll only keep missing. Focus only on what you can control. Your grip, your stance, your breathing. Draw it back, and do everything you can in that moment to send it in the right direction, because as soon as you let it go, you can no longer control it's trajectory." The girl shot the arrow, and it thudded into the outer edge of the white ring.

Mary-Margaret heard the blonde approaching, turned on her heel, and froze. Her grey-blue eyes locked with her daughter's green, and Emma stopped in her tracks. The woman placed her hand on Ava's shoulder and spoke to her without breaking eye-contact with Emma. "Much better, Ava. Could you and Nick please go and collect your arrows and give me a moment?"

The girl scowled, then noticed Mary-Margaret wasn't watching, and out of the corner of her eye Emma saw her look her up and down before dropping her bow and trotting off toward the targets with her brother.

Mary-Margaret stepped closer, her mouth dropping open in wonder, and she smiled with almost a whimper. Emma clenched her jaw and shifted her weight to her other leg and then back again, suddenly feeling too many emotions that she didn't know what to do with. Her mother continued to advance on her before stopping directly in front of her. Her eyes flicked briefly down over Emma, gathering her into her memory, then she reached out her gloved hands and tentatively cupped Emma's jaw. Her face contorted and she began to cry, and she gently pulled Emma into her and wrapped her arms around her daughter. 

"You found us." She said, her voice quaking. Emma hesitated, then raised her hands up from her sides to return the embrace. She felt the warmth, both physical and emotional, pour off her mother and into herself. They held each other for another few seconds before moving apart. She grinned at the stunned younger woman, still studying every line, curve, and angle of her face. "You have my chin." She laughed, and wiped a tear from her cheek with her sleeve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Sister Mary-Margaret is actually quite Bandit!Snow. :)


	14. Chapter 14

The small garden area out front of the Millhouse Cafe was sheltered from the cool breeze, and the sun filtered through the puffy white clouds overhead to warm the bricked area. Ruby pointed to an empty table to one side near the pond, and Emma followed her to it. They sat, the petite blonde waitress signalling them that she'd be over shortly.

"Look, Emma! Northern Leopard frogs! How cute!" Ruby pointed to a couple of places around the edge of the small pond, it's water swirling out from the small river stone water feature, lily pads dotting the surface. 

Emma looked closer at the foliage and saw the beautiful bright green frogs, dotted with darker green patches, and she understood how they got their name. One seemed to be looking directly at her, she smiled shook her head slightly at it when she swore it winked at her. "Very cute." She said, laughing to herself. "How the hell do you know about frog breeds?"

The brunette's grinned, her tongue swiping across her bright red lip. "I dated a librarian for a while. I learned a lot of things." She didn't need to add the additional eyebrow waggle for Emma to roll her eyes at the insinuation.

"I'll bet." She said, and chuckled softly. 

"Good morning, ladies." The waitress greeted them cheerily in a strong Antipodean accent and handed them menus. "I'm Izzy, and I'll be your waitress. We're just closing off breakfast service in a few minutes, so if you want to order in the next few minutes you can choose from either the breakfast or lunch menu. Our specials are on the board." she pointed towards the door of the cafe where a blackboard was propped against the front of the building, only partially obstructed by the table next to them. "We also have a selection of items at the counter if you'd prefer something smaller."

"Thanks, but we're-"

"You're not Australian, are you?" Ruby asked, cutting Emma off. She was staring intently at the tiny blonde, her head cocked slightly to the side.

"No," she replied. "I'm from New Zealand. Good catch, most people think I am."

"It's cute," Ruby grinned.

"We're not here for food," Emma interjected, "well at least not yet." She shifted position slightly, still satisfied from the breakfast that they had eaten on their journey. "But if I could get a cocoa please, with cinnamon?"

"Certainly," Izzy replied. "And for you?"

"I'll just take a flat white, and one of whatever the Sheriff normally has, both in takeaway cups please." Ruby answered. She simply smiled in response to the waitress' slightly confused expression. The poor girl had paused for a good few seconds before excusing herself to fetch their order.

"Really, Ruby?" Emma asked, her eyebrows raised, her attempt at restraining a smile only semi-successful. "The Sheriff?"

"What?" She said, her hands spread, palm up. "He's cute! And I saw the sign for the station when we were walking back her. I have to do something while I give you and your Mom some time to talk."

Emma flinched. "She's not my Mom."

Ruby reached across the table and patted her hand, and Emma was grateful she knew when she didn't need to say anything. 

"That waitress totally thought you were flirting with her until you ordered coffee for the Sheriff." Emma said quietly, checking that Izzy wasn't within earshot.

The brunette's smile broke across her face again. "I kinda was. She's cute too."

Emma rolled her eyes. "You are such a player." 

"I am very faithful once things progress, but life is too short to not let people know you think they're attractive, Emma." Ruby pointed her finger at Emma. "You should remember that."

"Yeah, yeah." The blonde muttered.

Izzy returned and placed their drinks on the table. "Enjoy, ladies." She said, casting a quick look at Ruby before flitting away to her next table.

The younger woman tipped her head to her drinks. "Do you want me to..."

"Go on, don't let it get cold then." Emma said. "Oh, perfect timing." She continued quietly, instinctively rising from her seat as her mother entered the courtyard. 

Ruby turned to see the shorter brunette, and picked up her cups. "Right then. I guess I'll see you back at the car." She said, and smiled warmly at the blonde. "Mary-Margaret." She said nodding her head as she passed her.

"Thanks Ruby." Mary-Margaret replied softly, having felt an immediate liking for the girl during their initial, brief meeting earlier. She had helped her carry the targets to her truck so that she could drop Ava and Nicholas home and meet them at the cafe. The older woman stepped up to her long-lost daughter, who was standing next to the table but awkwardly hesitant enough that she reached out and touched her arm. "Hi, Emma." 

Her daughter relaxed a little. "Hi."

They sat down, and Mary-Margaret pointed to Emma's drink. "Is that cocoa with cinnamon?" The blonde nodded and her mother laughed softly, shaking her head. "Strange. Your father drinks that too."

Emma smiled. "I know."

"Yes." She said. "He called me after you went to see him, you know. I've been half expecting to see you every time I turn around ever since." Her eyes were misting over already. To distract Mary-Margaret from crying again, the blonde waved down Izzy again, who came over to take her order for a chamomile tea. 

"So, you're a school teacher and an archery teacher?" Emma asked, feeling almost as though this were a blind date. 

"Yes, and I also volunteer at the hospital, and I help run the adventure camps with the local Scouts group." The older woman replied. "What about you? What do you do?"

"I'm a bail bondsperson." She replied, smiling at the shocked expression on her mother's face.

"That sounds dangerous!" Mary-Margaret exclaimed. "And exciting. Is it?"

Emma chuckled. "It's both in the moment you take them in, but for the most part it's boring. Making phone calls tracking them down, searching the internet, sitting in the car for hours on end watching and waiting."

"I think it's very honourable, being a part of our law enforcement system." The blonde warmed under her mother's approving gaze. "Did you move back east? David mentioned something about Oregon? He said he was caught so off guard he didn't ask you enough questions."

"It was pretty surreal." Emma confessed. "As is this, really. But yes, I was living in Oregon, I moved back to Boston a few months ago. After you sent me those papers. The postmark said Rockland, but you sent them, right?" 

Mary-Margaret nodded. "Yes. I did."

"Why now?" The blonde asked, running her fingers through her hair, pushing it away from her face. "After all these years, why now?"

The brunette linked her fingers and leaned forward onto the table. "I sent them to you because I had just found out that the letters that David and I had left with the adoption agency had never been made available to you, but I didn't actually know if you had sought them out. I thought all these years if you had wanted to find us you would have, but when you didn't, well I didn't want to force it. If you were happy... with your family." Emma sagged and she looked at the brown flecks sitting on top of the melted cream in her cocoa. "David said you didn't have one, and I want you to know the only reason I never... I thought you did. I thought you were happy."

"I know." Emma said, though she wasn't sure she meant it. She just wanted to stop the apology before it started. "He said that, that you were told I was adopted and everything. I get it."

"I'm sorry Emma." She said, reaching out for Emma's hand, which Emma pulled away. "I'm so happy you're here though." 

Emma looked up into the blue-grey eyes and saw the sincerity. "Me too."

"How did you find out that the agency never gave me the letters?" She asked after Mary-Margaret's tea had arrived and they had sat in quiet contemplation. 

The older woman looked upwards and sighed. "I believe my father had something to do with that. I can't say for sure, but my father used to be the mayor here. When his successor was voted out a few months back, he came to me with a file that he said he'd found when he was clearing out his belongings."

"Mr Gold?" Emma asked, already sure of the answer.

Mary-Margaret blinked at her. "Your research was remarkably thorough!" 

She shrugged one shoulder. "Actually I met someone who used to live here and she told me that."

"Oh! Who was that?"

"Regina Mills." Emma noticed her mother's face go even whiter, if that was possible. "You know her?"

"Yes." She stammered. "Yes, I know her. Not well, we weren't close, but yes."

"So what did Mr Gold give you?"

Her mouth opened as if to say something but closed again. Her eyes studied Emma's face for a moment before she continued. "Yes, well, the file. God knows why he didn't find the it before now, but in it were the documents I sent to you, and the letters we wrote."

"You didn't send me the letters." Emma stated.

"It didn't seem right, to send them unsolicited. I have them, if you want them." She offered hesitantly.

Emma shook her head. "No. Not yet." She rotated her cup on the table, deep in thought. "Why did you change your name?"

Mary-Margaret sat back in her chair and sighed again. "I used to idolize my father when I was young, I had him up on such a pedestal. I was always a daddy's girl, but after my mother died I was even more blind. Unfortunately there came a time when I realised how wrong I had been, and I took my mother's maiden name."

"What was the catalyst?" Emma pressed.

"He wasn't the man I thought he was. I happened to see something I wasn't supposed to and everything changed. I couldn't go back." Her mother explained as best she could while remaining purposely vague. 

Ruby chose that moment to re-appear at the table. "Sorry to interrupt, the Sheriff was called out. Just wanted to get the keys off you Emma, so I could grab a bite out of the car."

"Did you two want to get something to eat here?" Mary-Margaret asked the pair.

The younger brunette looked hopefully towards Emma, who nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Ruby flopped down one of the spare seats. "Excellent! I saw barbeque ribs on the specials board and my mouth has been watering ever since.

"Oh, Tiana's slow-cooked ribs are delicious!" Mary-Margaret said excitedly. "Messy to eat, but delicious!"

"Ribs, Ruby? Is that really the first impression you want to make on my mother? You, gnawing on bones?" The girl grinned at her and Emma chuckled. "You are an animal, Ruby Lucas."


	15. Chapter 15

Her mind wasn't on the task at hand, though she knew she was distracted, she hadn't realised just how much. She hadn't even heard the change from the gentle bubbling to the sizzling and popping as the sauce thickened far too much and stuck on the bottom. She cursed, whipped the pan off the stove and tasted it, hoping it was just stuck on the bottom, but it tasted burnt the whole way through.

All week she had felt out of sorts, as though everything were an effort, wading through a bog of thoughts and emotions. She hadn't seen the blonde since confronting her the previous Friday. Henry had barely been speaking with her and was cold towards her when she tucked him into bed. Marco had mentioned that August's father Archie is a psychologist and she wondered if she should ask him to recommend to her one of his colleagues, feeling it wouldn't be appropriate to see him professionally given their sons' friendship.

Henry was with August and his family this afternoon. He had asked that she not attend his soccer practice that afternoon, and had requested her permission to go home with his friend for dinner at their house afterwards. The blow of rejection had stung, but she had agreed, hoping that allowing him his freedom would encourage him to return to her again soon enough. He was beginning to soften, but he was definitely holding a grudge. She didn't expect him to understand why she had wanted to keep Emma away from them, and if she were honest with herself she was also struggling to keep to her decision.

The blonde's words had stuck with her that night, the hypocrisy of spending a lifetime around people who directly or indirectly hurt others, only to push away someone who tried to protect herself and others. Regina constantly had to remind herself of why she had made her decision. Henry. He was her world, he was everything. His safety was paramount, and it was her duty as his mother to protect him from anyone who could harm him.

She scraped the sauce into the trash and filled the pan with water to soak. She cleared the rest of the ingredients from the counter and gritted her teeth. Her appetite had gone, but now so had her attempt at distraction. She checked the time and saw it was still over an hour before Henry was due to be dropped home. She plucked a note from her wallet, locked the apartment door behind her, and slipped her keys into her pocket as she waited for the elevator.

The evening air was warm, but rapidly cooling as the sun dipped low in the sky. Emma didn't mind, the heat generated by her brisk run being wicked from her skin, leaving her feeling alive and fresher than the energy-sapping humidity of summer. She loved the moments when the beat of the music, her heart, and the pounding of her feet on the pavement aligned, and for a few minutes she felt the world slip entirely away.

At other times, thoughts would intrude. Some of them welcome, the memories of running shoulder to shoulder with Mulan for hours during their training months, through one of the many gorgeous parks, or along the Esplanade. The conversation with her father, lunch with her mother and Ruby that had continued along through the afternoon until they had needed to leave in order to get Ruby home so she didn't miss her Sunday breakfast shift. 

Sometimes she would allow the thoughts of Regina and their last argument filter through, and she'd try to focus them into additional speed. The anger burned in her, the frustration of being judged so harshly on her past, the feeling of having her true self, who she was in her heart overlooked. She knew she would never do anything to harm Regina or Henry and was insulted by the accusation that she might. 

She slowed to a walk as she rounded the final corner, and pulled her earplugs out, allowing the final block to be a cool-down and the noises of the world around her to ease her back into reality. 

What she heard was Regina's voice. "Let go of me!"

She looked up to Regina facing away from her near the front door to their building. A tall man removing releasing her wrist, though his body language was still imposing, advancing slightly on her though she held her ground. His suit and tie, shined shoes, and perfectly coiffed, short, blond hair gave him a professional air, but his attitude gave away his more insidious nature. 

Emma jogged toward the pair and bumped shoulders with Regina as she interrupted their quiet but intense conversation. "Everything alright here?" She asked, her presence drawing attention to how close the man had been to Regina, and he took a step back.

"Fine," he said defensively. "We were just talking."

"Dr Frank was just leaving." Regina stated firmly, glaring at the man with a burning intensity.

He held up his hands in mock surrender. "Sure, okay. Think about what I said, Ms Mills." He walked backwards a few steps then turned and walked quickly across the street. The women watched him climb into his black luxury sedan and drive away.

Emma stepped around to face Regina. "Are you okay?"

She swallowed down some of the anxiety and licked her lips. "Yes, I am."

"Who the hell was that guy?" She took another look up the street at the car, waiting at the traffic lights.

"He's a doctor with the main pharmaceutical company behind a bill to amend the Commonwealth’s Drug Treatment Program."

"And that means-" Emma noticed the brunette holding a packet of Marlboro Lights and snatched it out of her hand. "Since when do you smoke?"

"I don't." Regina replied angrily. It was the truth, she hadn't smoked in a long time. Not since before Henry. Before Daniel, even. Not since the days of sitting in Mellie's black 1968 Pontiac Firebird convertible overlooking Storybrooke, smoking loosely rolled cigarettes and listening to the Smashing Pumpkins. She wonders briefly what ever happened to Mellie, if she was still some band groupie touring the country or the world, when her attention was drawn back to the present. 

Emma lobbed the full and sealed packet a good six yards, landing them perfectly through the narrow hole on the top of the trashcan. She mentally cheered herself and was grateful for the hours of basketball pick-up she and Mulan had played at the university while waiting for Rory to finish her shift.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Regina growled.

"Right now? Congratulating myself on an excellent shot. Also, stopping you from doing something you'll likely regret." The blonde crossed her arms defiantly.

Regina took a half step forward, decreasing the space within them, close enough to smell the blonde's sweat, strong but not sour, and to see the beads glistening on her brow and chest. "And who are you to decide that?" 

"Your friend, Regina. I may still be angry at you, but I still care about you as well." She watched the older woman's jaw muscles clench, the vein in her forehead pulse. They stood in silence for a moment, then Emma shrugged and stepped away. 

She almost reached the front door when Regina called out to her. "No, wait. I'm sorry." Emma turned back around, her hands on her hips. She watched the woman's exhale some of the tension from her body, and her hair fell forward as her chin dropped and she looked at the ground between them. "Em.. Em.. I'm sorry. Snapping at you. I shouldn't have done that." She stared at Emma's big, green eyes, the hurt evident. "Will you accept my apology?"

Emma held her gaze, searching Regina's deep brown eyes and finding what she was looking for - sincerity. "Okay. I accept your apology for snapping at me just now." She turned and entered the building, leaving the brunette to follow reluctantly. Rather than share an elevator, Emma roughly opened the door to the staircase and pounded up the four flights to the second floor. 

It wasn't until she was in the shower that she realised she hadn't waited for Regina to tell her who that creepy dude was.

\-----

When the sound of her phone vibrating on it's uneven surface half on a glass coaster roused her from her sleep, she mumbled a curse at her ex-roommates for their lack of consideration of the time difference.

_**[00:53] Are you awake?** _

She sat up and unplugged the phone, pressing the call back button.

_"Hey, yeah, are you okay?"_

_**"Did I wake you?"** _

_"No, no I-- yeah, you did, but it's fine. Are you okay?"_

_**"Yes, yes I'm fine."**_ There was a moments silence and all Emma could hear was Regina's soft breaths. _**"I just couldn't sleep."**_

_"Is this about earlier? Are you scared?"_

_**"No I'm not scared."** _

Emma's instincts flared. _"Do you want me to come up there? I can sleep on the couch."_

_**"No."** _

_"Are you sure?"_

Again, all Emma could hear was Regina breathing.

_"I'll be up in a minute, okay?"_

_**"Okay."** _

Emma pushed back her blankets and stretched as she climbed out of bed. She slipped on a hoodie over her tank-top, and pulled on her ugg boots. Synthetic ones, her birthday present from Rory last year.

She stumbled over a pair of shoes in the darkness, grabbed the keys from the bowl on the side table, and collected the unopened soccer magazine that had arrived, a surprise gift subscription from Mulan, and she had already bought that month's issue so she thought Henry might like it. She locked her door and placed her keys into the front pocket with her phone, and tucked the rolled-up magazine under her arm as the elevator ascended to the top floor.

Regina must have been watching through the peephole, as the door opened for her before she reached for it. She wore a thin grey robe over silver satin - or knowing Regina, probably silk - pyjamas. She seemed younger without her make-up, her short-ish hair messily finger-brushed and tucked behind her ears.

"Hey." She said quietly, though the neighbours would not likely hear them anyway on this level, given the distance between the doors.

"Emma." Regina replied. "Please come in."

She stepped into the room, dimly lit only by one of the lamps in the living room. A sheet had been thrown over the couch, the throw pillows stacked up on one of the chairs and replaced with proper pillows at one end. A fluffy duvet was folded and placed at the other. "Man, that was fast." She murmured. 

Regina followed her to the living room where she took a seat in the french tub chair opposite Emma's position on the sofa. Emma remembered the magazine and held it out. "I brought this for Henry. I have a copy already, I thought he might like it."

The brunette smiled softly and took the clear plastic envelope, briefly looked at it before placing it on the shelf underneath the coffee table. "Thank you, I'm sure he will enjoy it."

"How is he?" Emma asked.

Regina sighed. "Mad. At me." She dropped her line of sight again, this time to the rug. "About you."

The blonde sucked in a breath and slowly exhaled.

"Emma, I'm sorry." Regina continued. "For what I said to you. You were right. I had no right to judge you from your past, and from third party sources from your past at that. I may not know you well, but I know you better than that." 

"Thank you." Emma said. "You were trying to protect Henry, I get that, but it hurt that you would think me capable of hurting him. I would never do that, Regina. I swear."

"I know." Regina said, and she did.

The almost imperceptible ticking of the clock filled the silence until Emma spoke again. "So who was that guy earlier?"

Regina stiffened in her chair. "Dr Frank. His company are petitioning to amend an act regarding offenders to reduce sentences in state prisons by participating in drug treatment programs. The original amendment is to help those addicted to drugs get clean while in prison, however his view is that they should be able to offer reduced sentences to inmates willing to participate in human drug trials and experiments, which of course is highly unethical."

Emma pulled a face. "He wants the state to provide him with human guinea pigs of the 'highly likely to be disadvantaged minorities' variety?"

Regina nodded. "He has been quite forceful in his bid."

"So I saw." Emma agreed, widening her eyes and looking at the floor. She crinkled her brow a moment later. "Who did you get my history from?" Regina just looked at her, not saying a word. The blonde, leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees. "I mean, it had to be someone with police connections. Can you talk to them about doing something about this crazy doctor?"

"Perhaps." Regina said softly. "He also accosted me outside my office the day Henry broke his key. He was the reason I was late."

"You really should, Regina. Call your guy. The asshole showed up here at your building and I did not get a good vibe from him." Emma insisted, her eyes pleading.

The older woman pursed her lips. "Yes, he did. I shall call my contact tomorrow." She berated herself for not thinking of it earlier, but she had been too shaken up and concerned only with pulling herself together before Henry arrived home.

"Do you know much self-defence?" 

Regina cocked her head slightly to the side. "Do you mean how to physically fight? Yes. I have been told I have a mean right cross."

The blonde chuckled. "Excellent. But there's a bit more to it than throwing a few punches. I took some classes a few years back, I can teach you some moves." Regina's expression was serious. "I mean, hopefully you'll never have the need to use them, but better safe than sorry, right?"

Slowly, Regina nodded. "I suppose so."

"Cool. Tomorrow after work?" Emma asked. "Better sooner rather than later as well, and you can tell me what your cop guy has to say."

Across the coffee table, Regina smiled and gave her the non-verbal affirmative, then stood. "I shall let you get back to sleep now." She leaned over and switched off the lamp, the only light left was the pale moonlight streaming in through the curtains over the French doors out to the patio. "Goodnight, Miss Swan." She said, ascending the stairs.

"Night, Regina." Said Emma, tugging off her hoodie and pulling the duvet up over her.

\-----

Regina awoke to her phone ringing, her actual ringtone and not her alarm, although it was almost time for it since she had extended her alarm time half an hour in an attempt to compensate for her inability to get to sleep the night before.

"Hello?" She mumbled, trying to not drop it as she unplugged it from the charger.

 _"Hello dear."_ Came her mother's voice down the line. _"Aren't you up yet? The early bird gets the worm, you know."_

"Yeah, and the early worm gets eaten." She snarked in response and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Down the hall she could hear Henry in the bathroom. "What do you want, Mother?"

_"I had few drinks at the tennis club last night with some constituents, who informed me that Mary-Margaret had a long lunch with a young woman rumoured to be the baby she adopted out almost thirty years ago."_

Regina's mouth felt abnormally dry, and she sipped on the glass of water from her bedside table to compensate. "Is that so?" She heard Henry pad downstairs, no doubt looking for her since she would normally be up and making breakfast by this time.

_"It is. What strikes me is that this event occurred so soon after your little demand for information about said child, and again, I wish you would advise me of your involvement."_

"You haven't spoken to Zelena then?" Regina asked, then cursed herself. She stood, trying to shake the sleep from her body and wake her mind up so as to not unintentionally reveal any further information to her mother.

_"You **have** spoken to Zelena?"_

She sighed. "Yes. I have. Not that she told me much of your involvement other than you drove Mary-Margaret to Boston at the beginning of her stay. Which I already knew because I saw you drive past the house with her in the passenger seat that day. It's how I knew you were involved." 

_"I knew I should have looped around the block. You always did happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."_

"Or the right place at the right time, depending on your perspective." Regina countered. She heard Henry's quick footsteps up the stairs and down the hall, and wrapped her robe around her.

He burst into her room. "Mom! Why is Emma sleeping on the couch?"

"Shit." She cursed under her breath, quiet enough that Henry didn't hear but loud enough for her mother to catch.

_"Dear, who is Emma?"_

"Henry, go and get dressed, I'll be down in a minute to make breakfast." He opened his mouth but she cut him off with a harsh look. "Now."

_"Regina?"_

"No one, Mother. She's no one." Regina ground out. "I have to go, I'm running late."

_"We need to talk, Regina."_

"Fine, but not now. Goodbye Mother." She ended the call before her mother could respond. With light steps she quietly made her way downstairs and over to the living room. Emma was splayed out, arms above her head, blonde hair fanned out like a lion's mane, and she had one leg kicked out from beneath the duvet. 

She reached down and gently gripped her shoulder and shook. "Wake up, Emma." The blonde groaned and scrunched her face up, then stretched, her thigh muscles, exposed by the short, pale blue, knit boxer shorts defined clearly as they tightened. She shook her again and the groan became a yawn, so she let go and walked to the kitchen and began pulling out ingredients. 

A moment later a head appeared over the back of the couch as the younger woman sat up and stretched again. "What time is it?"

"Breakfast time, dear." Regina replied with a smile. "Would you like some avena?"


	16. Chapter 16

For the second time in a week, Regina nearly had a heart attack upon entering her own apartment.

"Hello dear." Her mother stood in the foyer, having heard Regina's key in the lock. "Hello my dear boy!" She said with more enthusiasm, and opened her arms to hug her grandson.

"Abuela!" Henry crowed, and flung himself into her arms. He stayed close when the hug ended, and Regina rested a hand on his shoulder as she leaned in to kiss her mother on the cheek.

"Hello Mother." She said, her voice tight. "I see you have made yourself at home." She gestured towards the glass of wine resting half full on the kitchen counter.

"I found your vinho verde, I must say, it's quite delicious. I thought you were more of a red-wine drinker?"

Regina sighed. "I am. Zelena brought that back from Portugal. How did you even get in here? I changed the locks."

Cora pursed her lips. "Yes, so I found out. Luckily your building manager was here, although he took a lot of convincing to open the door for me."

"He shouldn't have let you in at all." Regina muttered under her breath. "Henry, go and make a start on your homework please."

"But Mom, I have all weekend to do it!" He complained.

Regina pointed to the study. "Wouldn't you rather have all weekend to do fun things, and get it done while Abuela and I have talk about boring adult things?"

He scowled but couldn't deny the logic, so he picked up his school bag and scuffed his way to the study.

"What brings you to Boston, Mother?" Regina asked, pouring her own glass of the slightly effervescent wine and taking a large swig. "I just spoke to you this morning, you didn't mention you would be in town."

"It's Friday night and I had the opportunity to spend it with my favourite daughter and grandson. Do I need more of a reason?" Cora asked, her voice innocent but Regina knew she was anything but.

She narrowed her eyes. "Funny, your sister says the same thing, and she too always has an ulterior motive."

Cora smiled in that saccharine sweet way that could kill a diabetic, and walked towards her daughter. She reached out with her free hand and gently cupped Regina's jaw. "My sweet girl. So intelligent. I can't get anything past you."

"Subtlety is not your strongest suit." Regina said and pulled away from the touch. She walked toward the large living room windows and stared out through the sheer curtains over the city streets.

She heard Cora approaching behind her. "Darling, who is Emma?"

"She's a friend." Regina replied, not turning around.

Cora stood beside her daughter and sipped her wine while pretending to admire the view. "I spoke with Graham today. He said he had a lovely chat with a young woman named Ruby, who had accompanied her friend Emma to Storybrooke to meet Mary-Margaret."

Regina rolled her lips and bit down on them, then swallowed and clenched her jaw. "It seems you know who Emma is then, so why ask me?"

"Darling, I know who she is, I'm curious who she is to you." Cora sipped her wine then retreated and sat in the tub chair Regina sat in last night and rested her wine glass on the clear coffee table.

The younger brunette stayed at the window a few moments longer. "You drove three hours just to question me about this in person?"

"Oh, dear, no. Only two. I was in Portland on business anyway." Cora laughed dismissively. "I set my overnight bag in the spare room, I hope that's not a problem?"

Regina closed her eyes and drew a deep breath which she exhaled slowly through her nose. "It's fine, Mother." She drained the rest of her glass and returned to the kitchen to pour another. She checked on Henry's progress on his homework and took the food containers from his backpack, then took her own from her satchel by the front door. 

She should have known that her mother, much like a child, was only ever up to no good when she was quiet. Cora leaned down and retrieved the soccer magazine from the tray underneath the coffee table, and flipping it over, noticed the addressee. Smiling to herself, she replaced the magazine and stood, smoothing out the fabric of her dress trousers. 

"Darling, will you give me your access card to the parking garage?" She sidled over to her daughter. "I've parked in the building across the street but I don't want to pay their exorbitant rates."

"As a matter of fact, no. Management have finally assigned the parking bays to our cards, so I can't." Regina knew shouldn't have felt glee at rejecting her mother's request, but she did.

Cora frowned. "Well that's inconvenient. Still, I'm going to go and move my car anyway, there should be free parking spaces on the street at this time of night."

Regina waited until the door had clicked shut behind her mother before muttering, "Good luck with that."

She reached for her phone and typed out a quick message.

**_[17:39] Apologies for the late notice, but I will need to take a rain check on those lessons we discussed. I have received an unexpected visitor._ **

\-----

_"You better not be eating take-out again. I swear to god, Emma, if I have to come over there..."_

"Chill out, Mulan. I made my own stir-fry. Listen-" She bit down on a piece then spoke with her mouth full. "The broccoli is still crunchy."

_"Good. So. Catch me up. What's new?"_

"Well, nothing much." She toyed with the drawstring on her light grey hoodie, the same one she had worn the night before.

_"Bullshit. You sound happier than when I spoke to you last weekend, and you had just met your mother."_

Emma sighed and leaned forward over the kitchen counter she was standing at, resting her elbows on the hard surface. She rested her fork back in the bowl and ran her fingers through her hair. "Well Regina apologised to me, so that was good."

_"Oh really?! How did it go down?"_

"I was just getting home from a run when I saw some douchebag manhandling her."

_"You fucking white knighted her, didn't you."_

"Kind of. Told him where to go-"

_"And she thanked you and kissed you and threw herself into your arms sighing breathlessly 'My hero.'"_

"What? Mulan, no. Not at all. You watch too many bad romance movies. She's not some damsel in distress, she was holding her own with him. I mean, you heard her bitch me out on the stairs that time. I just came in as back up until he left. Then I threw her cigarettes in the trash and walked away."

_"You're an idiot."_

"Am I? She stopped me, apologised for snapping at me, and then called me in the middle of the night when she couldn't sleep." She flinched and pulled the phone away from her ear at this high pitched not-a-girly-squeal pierced down the line.

_"You are so in."_

"You don't know what you're talking about. She was just freaked out about the stalker dude."

_"She wanted her white knight to ride on up and ride-"_

"Don't you finish that, Mulan." She heard a beep and looked at her phone, there was the text message symbol. It could wait.

_"And now you're defensive over her. I see where this is going."_

Emma shoved another forkful of vegetables in her mouth. "You're such a pain in the ass sometimes, I don't know why I talk to you."

_"Just calling it like I see it."_

"Yeah, well, she apologised for the background check thing, then I slept on her couch after making arrangements to teach her some self defence moves tonight. That's all. Then she made me oatmeal with cinnamon this morning."

_"That's... actually that's pretty sweet. I take it back, you're not a dirty dog."_

"Thank you."

_"You're adorable."_

"Oh god." Emma rolled her eyes.

_"I can't wait to meet her."_

"Shut up, Mulan." There was a knock at the door. "Actually I think she's here. Hang on." The tiles in the hallway were cold under her bare feet as she walked up and opened her front door. The woman standing on the other side was a mini Regina. Petite, her brown hair lighter in colour and much longer, and she was quite obviously older, but her broad smile was so very much Regina. The apple definitely didn't fall far from the tree. 

"Hello, dear." She cooed. "My name's Cora. Cora Mills."

"You.. You're Regina's mother?" Emma raised the phone to her ear. "I'll call you back," she said into it, and hung up. She slipped the phone into her pocket, wiped her palm on her jeans, silently wished she wasn't wearing the ones with the rips in the knees, and offered it to the older woman along with the least nervous smile she could muster. "Mayor Mills, it's lovely to meet you."

The tiny woman walked into the apartment so regally she made Emma feel small, and she began to understood how the woman could command the town she ran, and why the people would want her on their side. She seemed to be a person you would definitely want to have on your side, or at least not have her as your opposition.

"What charming taste you have, dear." She said, her eyes combing the room.

Emma tucked her hands into her back pockets. "Uhh, yeah. I'd love to take credit for it, but I rented it already furnished."

The older woman turned and smiled at Emma. "I see. Temporary accommodation, is it?"

"Not really, I've been here a few months." She shrugged.

"A few months. Still, that's hardly permanent." She ran her hand along the tops of the dining chairs as she walked around the room, the jewels on her rings glinting in the light. "Do you intend to stay in Boston?"

Emma remained at the edge of the room, feeling a little out of place in her own home. "I guess, for a while at least."

Cora turned to face her again. "I heard you visited Storybrooke last weekend. Did you enjoy our little town?"

"Yes I did, it's beautiful. Nice and quiet." Emma said, and she really had.

The woman almost purred with the praise. "Wonderful. I understand you had lunch with Mary-Margaret Blanchard, is that right?"

The blonde nodded. "Yes, that's right." She wondered where this line of questioning was going, and wished she had clarified with her mother if anyone knew about her. Of course, Mary-Margaret hadn't seemed ashamed of her in the slightest, they had shared lunch together publicly, and the older woman had given her without hesitation two hugs in full view of anyone who happened to be watching. "She's my birth mother."

The brunette raised an eyebrow slightly and the corners of her mouth curled almost imperceptibly. 

"You knew that already though, didn't you?" Emma queried, her eyes locked on her visitor.

She pursed her lips. "Clever girl. Yes, I was aware of your existence." The two women eyed each other suspiciously. "What I would like to know is how you know my daughter."

Emma's brow crinkled and she shook her head slightly. "We live in the same building, that's how we met." Cora continued to watch her curiously. "Honestly. I dropped a package in the stairs one day, Henry picked it up, and that's how we met."

"It was just a coincidence? You bumped into my daughter who just happened to be from the town your mother lives in?" Her voice had dropped a few degrees and Emma felt the chill through to her bones.

"That's exactly what happened." Emma replied.

The older woman broke into a smile and then laughed. "Well, what a fortuitous event! You must have a lucky star out there." 

The blonde confused by the sudden change of mood, shifted her weight to her other foot. "A lucky star? I don't know about that. I think my guardian angel abandoned me a long time ago." She said with a wry smile.

Cora advanced and Emma tensed as the woman stopped in front of her. "I'd be happy to show you around Storybrooke the next time you come." She raised her eyebrows. "Try to convince my daughter to accompany you, if you like. She always claims to be too busy to visit her poor old parents since she moved away."

She patted Emma's arm and walked past her, the blonde following her to the door.

"It was lovely to meet you, Emma. I do hope I'll see you again." Cora waved and glided down the corridor to the elevators.

"Yeah." She said to the retreating figure. "Bye."

She closed the door and leaned against it, and puffed her cheeks out as she exhaled. "What the hell was that all about?" She wondered aloud.

Her phone vibrated again in her pocket and she pulled it out, responding to Regina's message first. 

**_[17:39] Apologies for the late notice, but I will need to take a rain check on those lessons we discussed. I have received an unexpected visitor._ **

_[17:53] I believe I just received the same unexpected visitor. Though you two look a lot alike._

**_[17:54] Oh my god, I'm sorry. I don't know how she found you. What did she want?_ **

_[17:54] Heh, it's fine. She basically just introduced herself and offered to give me a tour of Storybrooke next time I'm there, and yet somehow I feel stripped bare._

**_[17:56] That sounds like her. We're really not that alike, I promise._ **

_[17:56] I dunno, sometimes you have that effect on me too._

She checked her phone again later that evening after she called Mulan back, but there were no more messages and she wondered while she brushed her teeth if she should have added a smiley face to convey her jest. 

The night had cooled down a lot, and she opted to wear her flannel pyjama pants that night. She had just pulled them on with a tank-top when she heard another knock at the door. Groaning, she snagged the pyjama shirt and threw it on, buttoning only the middle two buttons, enough to be decent enough for her second unexpected visitor of the night.

Standing at her door this time was the younger Mills woman, still looking entirely too put together for the late hour, as if she were just about to enter a business meeting, although there was a slight fraying of her nerves that shone through in her expressive eyes.

"Regina." She smiled. "Do you want to come in?"

"Hi Emma, no. I'm sorry to disturb you, I won't keep you. I just wanted to apologise for my mother's intrusion earlier. I have no idea how she knew who you were or where you lived."

The blonde grinned and leaned against the open door. "I'm sure she has her sources, she's a pretty persuasive lady, y'know?"

"Indeed I do." Regina smiled. "I didn't realise you had gone to Storybrooke last weekend. How did.. did it go well?"

Emma scratched her arm despite having no itch. "Yeah, it was a spur of the moment thing. It was fine. It's nice up there."

"It is." The brunette agreed. "Look, feel free to say no of course, and keep in mind that my mother will likely also attend, but Henry would love if you were able to attend his game in the morning."

"Yeah, I'll come." She said quickly.

Regina smiled at her again, more widely this time. "Great. Well, I guess I'll see you then."

"I guess so." Emma said, grimacing at her own nonsense and wondering why Regina hadn't moved to leave yet.

"Um, you have a little-" The older woman reached her hand out, paused, then gently wiped her cheek. "Toothpaste."

She felt her face warm as the blush rose. "Oh, shit. Thanks." She grinned. "Minty fresh."

Regina chuckled. "Goodnight, Miss Swan."

"Sleep tight, Regina." She replied, clicked the door shut, then thunked her forehead against it and groaned. "Sleep tight?"


	17. Chapter 17

The away game this week was in a beautiful suburb, for which Regina was grateful knowing it would make Cora somewhat more bearable than if they were at one of the more basic grounds. This home field was massive, there were a number of games going all at the same time, and the facilities were all new.

The trio of women and Henry walked around the field to their team in the same formation they had been in Regina's car; Regina and her mother in front, Emma and Henry following behind, only now they were dribbling a ball along the ground and Emma would occasionally flick it up and bounce it off her knee, chest or head to the boy.

As they neared, Henry ran off ahead to greet his teammates, so Emma drew up alongside Regina. The brunette glanced across and smiled at her. 

They had arrived early enough to claim decent seats in the bleachers to the side of the field the kids were playing at. At half time, a red-faced Henry ran over to them, proud as punch of the goal he had scored early in the game.

"How about a hotdog to celebrate?" Emma asked, pointing to a food vendor at the opposite side of the next field.

"Do you want to be able to run during the second half?" Regina asked him, and he screwed up his face. She turned to Emma. "And you! Have you even eaten breakfast? Do you know what goes into those hotdogs?"

Emma grinned. "No, hence why I'm starving, and yes. They are packed full of deliciousness."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "If Emma gets one can I just have a bite then, Mom? Please?" He opened his eyes wide and gave his best puppy-dog expression.

After a huge sigh she relented. "Fine, but you had better hurry."

The pair scampered down the bleachers and raced each other through the small crowd to the hotdog van. Regina kept an eye on them while listening to and responding appropriately to her mother's conversation.

She watched as Emma collected the hotdog and held it above Henry's head while he jumped up and down trying to reach it while they made their way back slowly towards her. Then she noticed the tall, blond man following, pushing through the crowd, gaining ground on them. She stood, sheltered her eyes from the sun and squinted, trying to get a better look at him. She couldn't really see, but he called out and Emma stopped, and Regina darted off towards them without a word to her mother.

"Emma!" A man shouted behind her. She turned and cast her eye over the crowd, then saw her father's face appear. She stepped back in surprise and bumped Henry, so she reached out and placed her arm around his shoulder. "Emma, I thought that was you."

"David, yeah. It is me." She said, still surprised. He grinned at her, then looked at Henry and back to Emma. "Um, this is Henry. Henry, this is my birth father, David."

Henry looked up at her then held his hand out to the man to shake. "Hello."

"Nice to meet you, Henry." David said. He looked behind him and gestured to someone to come over.

"Hey kid, you'd better get back to your game before the second half starts." She held out the hotdog, he took a bite and gave it back. "Now run back and tell your mom I'll be there shortly." Henry nodded, unable to speak with his mouth full, and waved at David before running off towards his field.

"Cute kid." David said as Kathryn and Peter joined him.

"Yeah." Emma agreed. "Hi, Kathryn and Peter, nice to meet you." She said, and held out her hand, shaking both of theirs.

Kathryn smiled brightly at her. "Emma, it's so wonderful to finally put a face to your name." She studied her face intently. "Wow, I really can see the resemblance."

Emma gave her a lopsided smile. "I have Mary-Margaret's chin apparently." She looked over at the seemingly disinterested teenager and noted his uniform. "So, Peter. You're playing today too?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Obviously." David reached out and lightly punched his arm. "Yes, I play."

"Cool." Emma replied. "I did too, a few years ago." He cocked his head, a little more interested now. She looked at the beaming smiles of... well her family she supposed, and felt the anxiety rising because of the situation and the crowd bustling around them. She looked down at her hotdog, a bite missing from the end, and didn't feel hungry anymore. "Well, um, I'd better get back. Henry will never forgive me if he scores another goal and I miss it."

David nodded firmly, his shoulders appearing to rock too with the movement. "Yes, yeah, sure. It was great to bump into you." 

Kathryn reached out and patted Emma's bicep. "Really, Emma. It was lovely to meet you. We would love to have you around for dinner sometime, if you would like that."

"Yeah, okay. I'll message you." She saw her father's face fall, and so she looked right at him. "I _will_ message you." 

He smiled again with relief, and she turned and walked away. She threw the hotdog in the trashcan and jumped when another voice spoke to her from beside her. "Emma."

"Shit, Regina. You scared the crap out of me." She clutched her hand to her heart.

The older woman took a step toward the direction they were headed and looked back at Emma, who took the hint and walked beside her. "That was your father?"

"Yeah." Emma said, her voice quiet and a little raspy.

David followed his family in the opposite direction away from the food vendors, turning back to again seek the bobbing blonde curls of his long-lost daughter disappearing into the crowd, a brunette woman next to her with her hand pressed comfortingly to the center of Emma's back.

Across the field, Cora patted Henry on the back as he trotted out to commence the second half. she cast her eyes across the hoards of people and caught a glimpse of her daughter walking alongside the blonde, her hand dropping down to her side from up behind the younger woman.

\------

Emma jumped up at the knock on the door and jogged over to answer it. Regina stood, her hair styled back from her face, and minimal make-up. She looked younger again, although that probably had something to do with some of the tension seeping away when her mother headed back to Storybrooke a few hours earlier. Her hands rested on Henry's shoulders as he stood in front of her. The blonde grinned, held the door wide for them to enter, and closed it behind them. "Alrighty then!"

Henry ran to the dining table where her gloves and the pads she'd borrowed from a co-worker had been placed, and he reached out for the bulky boxing gloves. "Cool!"

"First things first, we need to clear some space." She said, and began moving the dining chairs to the corner of the room. They pushed the table back against the wall, then moved the rug and pushed the sofa against the other one, leaving a much larger open area next to the kitchen.

"Now," She looked at Regina's outfit of leggings and a tailored and probably designer t-shirt. "That top looks expensive, are you sure you want to get it all sweaty?" Regina looked down at herself uncertainly, then raked her eyes over Emma's black tights and pastel blue tank-top. Emma reached out and pinched a fold of the fabric. "It's quite thick too, you'll get hot. You want to borrow a tank-top?"

"I suppose, if that's alright with you." The brunette said. "I donated many of my clothes when we moved." She explained.

"No problem, come, come." Emma said, and pulled her by the wrist to her bedroom. Regina looked around the space, somewhat impersonal, tidy, although the bed covers had been pulled up only and not properly re-made. The younger woman dug through her dresser and pulled out a deep, royal blue tank. "Here, this should work." She left the woman standing in her room and pulled the door closed behind her.

In the living room she walked up to Henry who was pretending to be the hulk with the large boxing gloves jammed onto his small hands. He roared at her and took slow-motion swings. She chuckled and ruffled his hair. "They're a bit big for you, my friend. C'mere." She tugged them off despite his whine, and slipped the lightly padded and smaller kickboxing gloves on him instead. They were still a little large, but the velcro held them securely around his wrists and she figured they'd be okay.

Regina emerged from the bedroom and Emma swallowed. The colour of the top complimented the brunette's tan skins very well, and the tightness of the fabric hugged every curve. Henry jumped in front of his mother in a wide stance and punched the air between them making noises worthy of a dubbed track on an old kung-fu movie. She pretended to punch his belly, then gathered him in her arms and frogmarched him back to Emma.

The blonde held her hand out, gesturing for Regina's. "Here, I'll wrap your hands." Regina raised her hands, then remembered her ring and took it off. She looked around, realising she had no pockets. "You can put it in the key bowl on the table over there if you like." 

Ring-free, Regina held her hands out and studied the younger woman while she wrapped her hands firmly and pushed them into the padded gloves, fastening the velcro at the wrists. "Feel good?" She asked, excitement in her green eyes.

The older woman tapped them together. "Yes, dear."

"Alright then." She ran them through a few warm up exercises and stretches, then lifted the bulky pads up. She slid her hands under the arm loops and gripped onto the handles at the top, then lifted them in front of her like a barricade.

The weight and angle caused her already defined arms to flex, her biceps and deltoids bulging slightly. She got them both to throw a few punches at her, not hard, just to see their form and techniques. Regina was right about having a decent cross, although with improved posture she thought she thought she could get her to put even more weight behind it.

"Oof!" She exclaimed for Henry's benefit a short time later as he landed a punch to the lower end of the pad. "Okay mister. Has your Mom talked to you about using this training only for self-defence and not fighting with the other kids?" She lowered her arms and took the large pads off.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Yes. Emergencies only."

She crouched down a bit to be at eye-level with him. "That's right. For one, if you learn how to fight properly, you can really hurt someone. It's really important to not do that unless they're really trying to hurt you. The best solution is always to try to get away before they can do that, right?"

"Right." He replied.

"Only use these if you can't get away, and if there aren't any adults around who can come and help you. Emergencies only." She stressed the importance to the boy with her eyes, locking onto him. He nodded again, and she could see he understood.

"Good. Okay. Because you're still growing, you need to fight smarter, not harder. You need to identify weak spots and get them there." She stood up again to full height. "See because I'm taller, you're probably not going to be going for my face, because by the time you've reached all the way up here," she lifted his arm up, "you've lost most of your oomph." She looked at Regina who was watching them closely. "Same goes for you, if who you're fighting is tall."

She pointed to her stomach, just below her ribs. "Right here is the solar plexus. If you hit someone hard enough here you can really take the wind out of their sails. Also, it's a good spot if you're not wearing gloves because it's not bony and won't hurt your hand so much."

"Now you've probably seen it in cartoons and stuff when people get kicked in the bal- crotch and they fall over." Henry giggled and confirmed. "Yeah, well, let me tell you that hurts for both boys and girls. Use your knee though, you'll be able to get more force into it and it won't hurt you as much either." She leaned forward a bit and put his gloved hands on her shoulders. "Grab onto their shoulders, or their shirt or something, and pull down as you bring your knee up." She raised his knee slowly and felt him pull down on her. "That'll give you even more force and help you keep your balance."

"Now another good option, especially if someone is holding onto your arms so you can't punch them, is shins and feet. Kick as hard as you can into the shin, or stomp down on the arch of their foot with your heel. It's better if you're wearing shoes, if you're not then stomp on the feet rather than kick, because you could break your toes on their shin bone, and that'd make it pretty hard to run away from them once they let go, right?"

The blonde looked at the boy and sighed. "I think that's about it." He jumped into fighting stance again. "Oh! One more thing. Headbutts. You gotta be careful because these can mess you up too, but if you get them right they are good. Aim for your forehead on their nose only. Or if they're holding you from behind and you think you're at about the right height, swing your head back. But if you hit their forehead it's probably going to be lights out for you too, you know?"

"I learned how to headbutt at soccer." He said proudly.

"Balls are a bit different to faces." She said, and he giggled wildly. She rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant." She corrected his stance, demonstrated how to get more force into a punch, then let him have a go at punching the pads again. When he began to tire, Emma reached out and took off his gloves, warm and slightly sweaty. "Okay the Playstation is hooked up in my bedroom, go and try to beat my high score. I bet you can't!"

"I bet I can!" He shouted as he ran down the hallway.

"Use the headphones!" She shouted after him.

Emma's smile fell when she looked up at Regina. She stood and moved close to her. "What's wrong?"

Regina shook her head and pursed her lips, waiting a moment before replying quietly. "It's just... I hate thinking that he might have to protect himself one day, because of me."

"Not because of you, Regina. He's strong because of you, and if he has to protect himself one day it'll be because this world can be pretty fucked up at times. But he'll be okay, because you've given him all the tools you can to make sure he'll be okay." She rubbed her hands up and down Regina's arms to comfort her. "He's lucky to have you."

The brunette lifted her hand to wipe away a stray tear before remembering the bulky glove she wore. Emma reached out instead and wiped it away, and the next that followed. "Come on, now I get to show you the really nasty tricks. We have eye gouges, throat punches, soft spots to pinch and twist, and if then later I'll show you how to break out of wrist grips, chokes, and duct tape handcuffs. But first, punching."

She hoisted up the pads again and ran Regina through some simple combinations and a few knee grabs, but she could tell the woman was not giving it her all. "You're distracted." She said, and the woman dropped her weighted hands to her sides. Emma looked at the clock on the wall. "I want thirty seconds of your biggest baddest punches. Pummel the shit out of the pads, Regina. I wanna see you sweat."

A sparkle appeared in dark brown eyes and Regina raised her hands up again and Emma looked at the clock. "Okay.. wait.. wait.. go!"

She held on tight as the brunette landed punch after punch, she felt the one-two combinations appear, and she surprised her with a well placed knee before resuming with the punches. Emma raised the pads to get some height out of her. They began to weaken after about twenty seconds, and then stopped at twenty-five. "Is that all you've got?" She dropped the pads with a grin to egg her on but instead saw only a glove aimed straight at her face, followed by the spinning room and rapidly approaching floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes. Is the slow burn too slow? I don't want to rush it, I have a number of strands to weave, but I don't want anyone getting bored...


	18. Chapter 18

She didn't quite remember getting there, but she was on her hands and knees staring at the floor through the stars speckled across her vision. Well, she'd landed on one hand, the other was bent slightly where the kickboxing target pad had twisted at her forearm so she was almost down on that elbow. The silence faded away as the sounds of life came back to her, and there were hands on her. One on her back, one on her cheek. Not hands. Bulky knob things. 

She pushed herself a little more upright, still on her knees, sitting on her feet. The knobby things disappeared and she heard ripping velcro, and she saw fabric strips fall to the floor. The hands came back, damp and hot, cupping her jaw.

"Emma! Look at me, Emma!" The voice was panicked.

The hands guided her face to the left and she found herself gazing into big, beautiful, terrified eyes. She reached up and took hold of Regina's left wrist with her right hand, she sucked in a deep breath, and she burst out laughing.

The brunette left her hands in place but moved her body away and frowned. A few moments later, when Emma was still laughing, she pulled her hands away and tugged free of the blonde's grip on her wrist. "Why are you laughing?"

Emma struggled to calm herself, shrugged free of the pads hanging off her arms, and wiped a tear from her eye. "You do!" She managed to say before laughing again. Another few moments later she calmed herself again. "You do have a mean right cross. You were right. That hurt like hell."

With a sigh, Regina grabbed her chin roughly with her right hand and angled her face back towards her again. "You're bleeding." Her jaw muscles tightened then she let go and stood. "Do you have an ice pack?"

"Yes. A gel one." She said, wincing when she dabbed at her brow and then looked at the sticky liquid on her fingertips. She heard Regina digging around in the freezer. "Ah shit, it's still in my room. I didn't put it back in the freezer after last time."

The brunette sighed loudly and slammed the freezer door shut. She returned with a bag of frozen corn wrapped in a clean tea-towel. She crouched in front of her and pressed the bundle to her face. "Hold that on it." She did, then felt a hand in her armpit lifting her. "Come on, sit on the couch."

Emma wavered, the blood rushing out of her head as she stood, her lower legs a little numb from the position she had been sitting in. Another arm wrapped around her waist and guided her to her seat. "Sorry, it was my fault."

"Of course it was your fault, Miss Swan." Regina's tone was low and hard. "The thirty seconds was not up, you were an idiot to drop your guard."

"I know, I know." Emma placated. 

The brunette stood and collected the pads, wraps and gloves, and sat them on the dining table where they had been originally. She went back to the kitchen and washed her hands and forearms like a surgeon scrubbing in. 

Emma removed the wrapped bag of corn from her eye and looked at the small red patch on the light green fabric and thought it can't be too bad if that's all the blood there was. Still, behind the numbness she could feel the tightening of the skin indicating swelling, so she re-positioned the bloody spot and moved the bag of corn back to her face. 

"Uh uh." Regina said, sitting down on the in front of her, roughly pushing her hand back down. Again she gripped Emma's chin firmly and inspecting the wound closely. "We should take you to the ER. You might need stitches, maybe glue."

"I have some craft glue-"

"Don't be ridiculous." The older woman scorned. "It's your face. It's going to scar."

"Chicks dig scars." Emma grinned crookedly.

Regina narrowed her eyes and let go of her chin. "I'll drive you."

The blonde's smile faded. "Nah, no hospitals."

"I think you need to be checked out." Regina challenged.

"You have eyes." Emma said with a wink, then her smile faded. "Sorry, I don't know what I'm even saying." She stood up and took a heavy step away, trying to push through the wooziness. 

"All the more reason for you to see a doctor, Miss Swan." Regina said gruffly, and reached out to steady the lightheaded woman, but she knew stubbornness when she saw it and relented. "Do you have a first aid kit?"

"In the bathroom." The blonde lead the way and sat heavily on the closed toilet lid after pulling the first aid kit out of the cabinet.

Regina opened the kit and dug around in it. She put disposable gloves on and gathered a few items which she placed unceremoniously on Emma's lap. She removed the makeshift ice-pack and placed it in the basin. She stood up close to the blonde, and with a hand on her forehead tilted her head up and to the side to catch as much light as she could. 

"What's the verdict, doc?"

"You'll live." Regina grumbles. "Probably." She was obviously grumpy, but she changed from the rough maneuvering to tender touches as she dabbed away the blood from the area, having almost stopped from leaking from the wound itself. She leaned in closer and Emma looks up to her, she watched the tiny movements around her lips, and she looked intently for the first time at the long healed scar on the older woman's upper lip.

Emma winced at the sting from the antiseptic wipe, and again as Regina pinched the wound together and carefully affixed the first butterfly bandage and then the second.

"Do you want me to cover it now or do you want to take a shower first?"

"What?" Emma asked, roused from her wandering thoughts.

Regina sighed. "I have closed it, and I can bandage it now but it will need to be re-bandaged if you get it wet. So if you want to shower, shower now and I will dress it." She took a step back and cleaned up the remnants of the items used and removed her gloves.

"Oh. Thanks. Um, I'm sure I can dress it. You've done enough already." Emma said, standing behind her neighbour to check the damage to her face in the mirror. Brown eyes looked back at her from the surface. "I didn't mean like that! God, Regina. I meant thank you, you have taken care of me more than you needed to."

The brunette resumed her tidying. "Yes, well. I suppose I am partially responsible." She turned to leave but paused at the door. "You should come upstairs after your shower." Emma looked around at her. "I'll cook you dinner, as a thank you for... all you've done."

"You don't need to..." Emma began.

"I may not be a doctor, Miss Swan, but I know enough about concussion to know you shouldn't be alone. Since I owe you a home-cooked dinner anyway, I may as well repay you tonight." Regina had walked to the bathroom door, her fingers resting on the handle.

"Well I never say no to free food, but I don't have a concussion." The blonde smiled reassuringly.

"As far as I'm aware, you're not a doctor either." 

Emma groaned. "I didn't even black out!"

"That doesn't mean you weren't concussed. Now, are you going to come upstairs after your shower or do I have to stay here?" Her eyes bored into Emma's.

"Fine. Yes, I will join you upstairs after I shower."

She moved to leave but re-opened the door. "Do you eat beef?"

\------

"This is great!" She said, and swallowed. Regina appeared both pleased with the compliment and annoyed at her guest speaking with her mouth full. "It's way better than any beef stew I ever had."

"It's carne guisada puertorriqueña." Henry chimed in. He scooped another forkful and shovelled it into his mouth having built up quite the appetite with both soccer and self-defence.

Emma raised her eyebrows. "That explains it. Hey slow down, kid. My Heimlich is a bit rusty." He looked at her quizzically but continued eating, albeit a little slower.

At the end of the meal Regina sent Henry to the living room. "Go and choose a movie, Henry. I'll tidy this up and we can have some ice-cream while we watch."

The boy hopped off his chair and trotted out to the cabinet containing all his DVDs. "Emma, what do you want to watch?"

Emma stacked their empty plates and carried them to the kitchen in one hand, the nearly empty bowl of rice in the other. "Whatever you want, kid. I'm easy."

"Don't let that get around." Regina murmured quietly.

"Excuse me?" She asked with mock offence. "Are you casting aspersions on my good name?"

Regina's face remained without expression but her eyes sparkled with mirth. "Merely pointing out that you did so yourself."

"Despicable Me?" Henry asked, calling across the large open space.

"Sounds great, Hen." Emma replied, and looked to Regina for confirmation. She smiled and nodded at her son. "I haven't seen that one yet." Emma finished.

"It's great! Gru is this villain and he wants to be more bad than the really bad villain so he pretends to be this normal guy and adopts these-"

Emma held up her hands. "Whoa, kid, don't spoil it for me!" 

"Sorry." Henry giggled and slipped the disc into the player and then hunted around for something. "Mom, I think Abuela has been moving things again."

Regina groaned, and snapped the lid on the container holding the last of the rice and stew. She popped it in the refrigerator, turned, and nearly bumped into Emma loading the last of the plates into the dishwasher. "Thank you." She said quietly, her hand barely touching the blonde's back as she squeezed past her to help her son hunt for the remote control.

She spotted it quickly on a shelf above Henry's eye-level, along with a couple of others. She passed the television remote to her son, then with one remote in each hand, aimed them at various places around the room. The heavy drapes in the living room and at the edges of the french doors out to the patio began to close. The lights switched off in the dining room, foyer and living room, leaving only the lamps next to the fireplace and the kitchen lights on, where Emma had stopped her task of scooping ice-cream into bowls and was staring open-mouthed at the older woman. She shook her head slightly, still incredulous, and resumed scooping.

Regina joined her back in the kitchen, pulling a gel ice pack from the freezer and pushing it towards the younger woman. "Use this, it should help keep the swelling and bruising to a minimum."

"Don't want me walking around looking like a domestic abuse victim?" Emma joked. "Wouldn't be the first time, trust me."

"That you were, or that you looked like it?" Regina asked sincerely.

Emma looked up from the ice-cream, a tightness forming around her eyes. "Both." She uttered in barely more than a whisper, then re-capped the ice-cream container and put it back in the freezer. "Not that this was, you know. That's not what I meant." She placed her hand on the older woman's forearm and squeezed.

Regina smiled sadly at her and continued chopping strawberries and adding them to the bowls with the blueberries and ice-cream, followed by chocolate sauce on two of them.

"Oh yeah!" Emma exclaimed with a wide grin, then pointed to the third dish. "You don't like chocolate?"

The brunette pursed her lips and tilted her head slightly cockily. "You don't keep a figure like this by adding extra sugar to everything." She picked up her and Henry's bowls and walked to the living room, and Emma would have sworn there was an extra swing in her hips as she did so. She picked up her own bowl and the ice pack, flicked off the kitchen light, and joined the pair on the couch.

\------

"Well, I suppose I should head back downstairs." Emma said as the credits rolled. "Let you two get to bed."

"I do believe the recommendation for those having sustained head injuries is supervision for the following 24 hours." Regina said flatly then turned to her son. "Henry, go and get ready for bed. Brush your teeth well." 

Emma stood and stretched. "You're going to supervise me?"

The brunette straightened the cushions and smoothed her already flawless hair. "I believe it is my duty, since I was the one to inflict the injury. Which is not to say that it was my fault."

The blonde chuckled. "I'll be fine. Promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Miss Swan. You shall sleep in my spare room tonight." She walked to the front door, checking it was securely locked. 

Emma sobered. "We haven't really had a chance to talk. Did you speak to your cop friend?"

"Yes." Regina glanced at the upper level, the bathroom door was still closed. "He said there isn't a lot the police can do unless he actually does hurt me or..." She trails off. "He's going to have one of his retired officer friends who now works in security come to assess the apartment tomorrow."

"Assess the apartment?" Emma looked around. "The only way in is the front door, isn't it?"

Regina nodded. "Yes, but they may update the alarm to one that can be operational while we are in the house and will activate if the door is opened." She rubbed her hand up her bicep in a sub-conscious move to comfort herself. Emma reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

"Did he run through the other things you can do, when you're out and about?" She asked. Regina frowned at her. "You know, like parking your car in well-lit areas only, having someone accompany you to it if it's after dark or if you feel at all uneasy, changing up your schedule, letting people know where you'll be and when you'll be back, just in case. Distributing his picture to say, security at your office, maybe a few of the people around here and ask them to not tell him anything and to let you know if he starts hanging around. Continuing with your lessons with your excellent self-defence instructor." She poked her in the side.

The older woman stared at her, swallowed roughly, then spoke in a low voice. "I think you're making this out to be more serious than it is."

Emma shrugged. "I'm not saying to go into witness protection or anything. I'd just rather err on the side of too-cautious than not cautious enough. You never know what people are capable of."

\------

Sprawled out on the incredibly comfortable spare bed, her senses tingled and she roused from an unknown period of sleep. She pried her eyes open, adrenaline coursing through her at the sight of someone standing next to the bed. She gasped involuntarily, and the bedside lamp flicked on.

Regina stood at the bedside. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"What the hell, Regina?" Emma clutched her hand over her beating heart. "You scared the crap out of me."

"Not literally, I hope. These sheets are 1000 thread count." She pressed her hand to Emma's forehead, and leaned across in front of her to look in her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked, pulling the sheet up over her chest, already covered by her tank-top, but bra-less.

"Checking on you. You don't have a temperature or slurred speech. Do you have a severe headache? Double vision? Stiffness, numbness, tingling or weakness?" 

Emma laughed. "Did you Google concussion symptoms before bed?" She laughed harder at the lack of denial from Regina. "You're adorable." The woman's olive skin pinkened slightly, and Emma felt her own cheeks warm.


	19. Chapter 19

Regina had just finished unloading the dishwasher when she heard the quiet knock on the door. She wiped her hands on the hand-towel as she walked, and peered through the peep-hole. She unlocked the door and opened it. "Emma, hello."

"Hi." The younger woman smiled. "Sorry for coming by so late, I just wanted to see how the security thing went, and..." She reaches into the plastic bag she's holding and pulls out a clean, plastic container. "I brought you back your container. Thank you for the leftovers, they were delicious. Again."

Regina took the container and opened the door wider, standing to the side. "You're welcome. Come in." Emma walked in past her and waited while Regina re-locked the door. "Your eye is looking a little less swollen today."

Slender fingers reached up to touch the bandage over on her own eyebrow. "Oh, yeah. The bruise is coming in nicely though. You have no idea how much concealer I have on right now. Is Henry in bed?"

"It's after 9:30pm, Miss Swan, of course he's in bed." Regina sighed.

Emma rocked back on her heels. "Well I don't know what time kids go to bed." She said with a slight shrug. "So how did it go?" 

Regina pointed to the security system. "Well the updated the software on the existing alarm so that now I can arm just the door sensor while we are in the apartment. They said that was about all that needed doing."

The younger woman's fingers tightened around the plastic bag she was holding a little tighter and set the bag swinging. "Oh, okay. Well you probably won't want this then." 

"What is it?" She asked.

"It's a car alarm accessory that I modified today. It has a sensor and if the door is opened it sends a signal to the remote controls to let you know. I thought it might be handy with your bedroom being upstairs, but if the alarm system-"

"Actually that would be good. The alarm panel will chirp if the door is opened but the alarm won't activate for ten seconds. It would be nice to have advanced warning, if..." She trailed off, her eyes dropping to the bag to avoid Emma's gaze.

The blonde pulled out the small unit. "I saw you have a power point there near the door so I re-wired it to run off AC power. It'll only take me a minute to install it, if you want."

"It isn't going to burn my house down, is it?" Regina smiled at Emma's playful scowl. "Go right ahead." She left her to it while she finished tidying the kitchen and poured them both a cider. 

A few minutes later Emma put the packaging back in the bag, and dug around at the bottom for the two remotes. "Here you go." She handed them both to Regina. One had a soccer ball sticker on the front, and Regina raised an eyebrow at Emma when she saw it. "I disconnected the button on one of them, so that you could arm and disarm it but the other could only receive the signal, not transmit."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Emma. Thank you." Her thumb traced the sticker, and she dragged her bottom lip between her teeth. "I'm afraid telling Henry that I'm afraid of intruders will give him nightmares." She says softly, still looking at the remotes in her hand.

Emma takes a step forward. "I get that. You don't have to tell him about it if you don't want to. I mean, it has good range, I can hold onto it if you like. Be the second person."

Soft brown eyes finally met her own, tension pinching at the corners. Slowly, she nodded. "Yes, I'd prefer that, if you don't mind."

The blonde smiled comfortingly and held her hand out for the remote. "Sure, it's no problem."

"How much do I owe you?" Regina asked, handing over the stickered remote and slipping the other into the pocket of her black dress pants.

Emma waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it." Regina began to protest, but Emma cut her off. "Seriously, I called in a favour and got it for next to nothing. It's fine, really." She picked up her glass from the side table and drank the rest of the cider left in it. "That's really good cider, by the way."

"I make it myself." Regina said, her back straightening and smile widening with the compliment.

"Wow, look at you." Emma said jokingly. "I should go." She placed her empty glass back down and pointed to the remote in Regina's hand. "Try it out, arm it and we'll make sure it works."

"You didn't test it already?" The brunette asked teasingly. "You must be confident in your abilities."

Emma winked. "Oh, I am."

Regina armed the device, and then opened the door for the younger woman. Both their alarms let out a loud beep, then beeped every few seconds until Regina disarmed it. "Well that sounds annoying enough to wake me."

"Me too." Emma walked through the door. "I'm only a couple of floors away." She reassured her. "Goodnight, Regina."

"Goodnight, Emma." She closed and locked the door, then set both the alarms before retiring up to her bedroom to read.

\------

It was four nights later that Regina next heard from her neighbour. She was sitting outside on her patio enjoying the end of her working week when her phone vibrated on the small side-table next to her. She reached out from under the heavy quilt and picked it up.

"Hello, dear." She said brightly, the wine she had drunk loosening her usual tight control on her emotions.

"Hey Regina. I, uhh... are you home?" Emma stammered, seemingly caught off guard.

"Yes I am, why do you ask?"

"I was just knocking on your door and you didn't answer, but your car was in the basement, so I just wanted to check you were okay. Are you in bed already?" She asked hesitantly.

Regina giggled, actually giggled. "No I'm not in bed." She threw the quilt off her. "Are you still at my door?"

"Yes." Emma confessed. She was just about to ask if Regina was still there when the door swung open.

"Hi!" Regina grinned, her eyes sparkling.

Emma narrowed her eyes and hung up the phone, sliding it back into her pocket. "Hi." She said suspiciously. "Are you drunk?"

The older woman rolled her eyes. "I've had a few glasses of wine. Come in." She reached out and grabbed Emma by the wrist and pulled her into the cold apartment. Emma turned in surprise to face back at the door she just came through, which Regina was now locking again. "What do you have there?" She asked, pointing to the paper bag Emma was holding.

"Umm, I just came from dinner with... David, Kathryn and Peter. We had Thai, and they sent me home with all the leftovers. It seems to be a recurring theme and I must admit I'm kind of liking it." She grinned. "You've probably already eaten, but I just..."

"Who do we have here?" Came a voice from behind her. Emma grunted in surprise causing Regina to giggle again. She turned and saw a gorgeous woman walking in from the patio, a small, maroon, polar fleece blanket wrapped around her shoulders, her long, wavy black hair draped over the top of it. She had a long, oval face, dark brown eyes, flawless brown skin, and dusky pink lips turned up in a wide smile. She freed one hand from clasping the blanket around her and held it out. "I'm Marian."

Emma switched the bag into her left hand and shook Marian's hand. "Emma. It's nice to meet you."

Regina placed one hand on Emma's shoulder, the other on her own hip, and raised an eyebrow. "Emma brought us Thai food."

Marian's eyes widened and she gave an exaggerated gasp. "Oh my god, I love you!" She exclaimed.

The blonde chuckled and handed the bag over to Regina. "I'm starting to wonder if I'm in the wrong profession." 

The older woman took the bag and immediately brought three plates out of the cupboard. 

"None for me!" Emma said. "I am still stuffed." She patted her stomach which she had pushed out to prove a point.

"Good. More for me!" Marian said, and joined Regina in the kitchen, where they both greedily scooped spoonfuls onto their plates, and bickered over who got to microwave their food first. Marian won by pure physical strength. "Emma, have a glass of wine with us!" She said opening Regina's cupboards until she found the stemware.

"Sure, okay." Emma shrugged. This time it was Marian who took her by the wrist and dragged her outside. As they stepped through the curtains, Emma's mouth dropped open at seeing the small oasis up close and at night. There were fairy lights around the entire area and strung up above them, small solar spotlights provided uplighting to the small trees in the corners, the ambient light also defining the greenery of the maidenhair ferns at their feet.

Marian dragged her up a few steps to the corner of the patio, a raised and covered deck area with a day-bed against the wall. She pulled back the quilt and patted the center of the bed, and Emma sat as instructed. Marian draped the quilt over her lap then reached into a small ice-bucket off to the side, poured a very generous glassful which emptied the bottle, and handed it to the blonde. She took it and disappeared inside for a short time, and emerged with another bottle which she slid into the ice-bucket after topping up her own glass.

"So, Marian. How do you know Regina?" Emma asked, taking a gulp of the wine which was a little dry for her tastes but had a nice flavour. 

The tall woman sat heavily next to her and pulled the quilt up over herself. "Reggie and I go way back. High school, not that she talked to me for most of it."

"So you're from Storybrooke too?" She took another large sip, feeling as though she had some catching up to do. 

"Sure am. I hear you were there recently. You're Mary-Margaret's daughter." Marian's lips pursed and eyebrows raised in a cheekily inquisitive way that Emma found hard to deem intrusive.

Emma cleared her throat. "Wow, yeah. I'm not even from there and I'm having to get used to this small-town, everyone-knows-your-business thing."

The brunette laughed. "Storybrooke isn't that small, honey. Regina's just been telling me about you tonight."

"I thought I felt my ears burning." Regina said as she stepped outside with a plate in each hand. She handed one to Marian, then stopped and grabbed it back, swapping it for the other. "That one's yours. I think." She sat on the opposite side of Emma and brought her legs up to sit cross legged, and Emma noticed her fluffy lavender socks for the first time, pulled up high over her black leggings. "So what were you saying about me?"

"We were talking about Emma actually." Marian said. "She was just about to tell me about her visit to Storybrooke."

"I was?" Emma asked, smiling crookedly.

Marian leaned and nudged her with her shoulder, her mouth too full of Pad Thai to answer.

"Um, well, we arrived-"

"Who's "we"" Marian interrupted, still chewing.

"Her friend Ruby." Regina answered.

Emma's head turned to look at her. "How did you know that?"

Regina shrugged a shoulder. "My mother spoke to Graham."

"You met Graham?" Marian asked, her voice a little squeaky. She wiped the corner of her mouth with her finger and then sucked on it.

Emma nodded. "Yeah, briefly. My fr- Ruby went to talk to him while I had a coffee with Mary-Margaret."

"What did you think of him?" Marian asked.

"Marian!" Regina growled.

Emma felt like a tennis umpire looking between the two. She pushed back and lifted her legs up in front of her, sitting back further on the day-bed to see them both better. "Um, yeah. He's pretty cute, and seemed quite nice."

"How weird was it to meet your mother?"

"Marian!" Regina scolded, much louder this time, and leaned forward to glare at Marian around the blonde. "You can't just ask her that!"

Emma chuckled and pulled her back with a hand on her bicep. "It's fine, Regina." The older woman looked at her with slight concern in her eyes. She pursed her lips, then resumed eating. Emma turned to face Marian. "It was weird, for sure. My whole life I never knew what to expect, and I guess I thought up all these different people that she could be. But she wasn't really any of them. She... wasn't what I expected." She took a sip of her wine. "In a good way, I think. But that kind of makes it harder."

"Harder than finding out that your folks are deadbeats and being able to say "Glad I dodged that bullet!" you mean?" Marian leaned down and put her empty plate under the seat and brought her legs to sit cross-legged as well.

"Exactly." Emma stared into her wine glass.

"Yeah, I hear that. Finding out she's a primary school teacher, part time saint, part time badass who just had the misfortune of getting knocked up at sixteen and was shipped off to Reggie's aunt so her precious Daddy could keep it a secret-"

"Wait, what?" The blonde asked, confused.

"Shit, Marian!" Regina groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Marian looked between the two women next to her. "What?"

"I hadn't told her about that yet." Regina put her almost empty plate on the side-table and reached out for Emma's hand. "Look, Emma. I didn't know about it when we talked, I swear, but I remembered seeing my mother drive away with Mary-Margaret in her car when I was a girl, and she was gone the weekend. Mary-Margaret didn't come back for a year, everyone was told she was in some finishing school or something. I asked my mother about it and then my aunt showed up and told me she had taken Mary-Margaret in for that year. I'm sorry I hadn't told you yet, I just... I should have."

Emma threw the quilt off and walked forward across the small, raised deck. The cool breeze wisped around her short, cable-knit sweater covered waist inside her tan leather jacket. She lifted her thumb to her mouth and lightly bit on the nail. "My mother stayed with your aunt while she was pregnant?" She turned back just in time to see Regina punching Marian on the arm.

"Yes. She stayed with her for a year and then went to college." Regina scooted to the front of the bed and placed her sock-clad feet on the deck. Her hands gripped the edge of the foam mattress on either side of her legs. "Please don't be mad. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"I'm not mad." Emma said, biting her nail again. "Just... Why didn't you tell me?"

Regina looked into her eyes. "I... I was taught from an early age that knowledge is power. Information is power, that it... Well, personal information could be held or used against you, and obviously Leopold White was influential in his day, that if people knew my family helped him cover something up..."

Marian groaned. "She's trying to say that her mother is a shady politician through and through and raised her to be paranoid as all hell and not trust anyone."

Regina was still looking at her with big, sad eyes. "She's not really shady, but other than that, yes."

At that, Emma actually laughed a little. She drew a deep breath and interlocked her hands behind her head and stretched back. "Okay." She shifted her weight onto her other leg and felt the decking move slightly. She looked down and saw the join running directly between her legs. Her eyes traced the edges of a large square around her and noticed hinges in the wood. She frowned, and looked to the side where there was another smaller access panel, and a box built into the corner of the deck next to the wall. She stepped back, her stance wide, and looked up at Regina. "Is this-"

"A jacuzzi? Yes!" Marian exclaimed.

"Well, shit." Emma said, and ran her fingers through her hair. "Just when I thought this place couldn't get any fancier."

Marian laughed. "She didn't tell me it was there either. Raf is going to go nuts for it."

"Raf?" Emma asked.

"My son, Rafael." Marian answered.

Emma glanced at Regina who was still watching her guiltily. She smiled at her to try to assure her they were really okay. Maybe it was the wine, but she really didn't feel anything deeper than mild annoyance at the information withheld. She looked back at Marian and pointed toward the upper level of the apartment. "Oh, is he here?"

She shook her head. "No, it's my ex-husband's weekend. They've gone camping one last time before it gets too cold."

"Oh." Emma said. "How old is he?"

Marian smiled fondly. "Almost five." She looked across at Regina who seemed to be slowly relaxing again and was back to sipping her wine.

"Cute." The blonde bounced slightly. "So are we going to soak in the tub or what?"

Regina chuckled. "You can if you want, but I haven't had it switched on so it will be cold as ice." She watched as Emma's face screwed up in disappointment. "Another time, dear."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Emma narrowed her eyes and pointed at her smiling neighbour. She breathed deeply again then walked forward. "Alright gimme back some of this quilt, it's freaking freezing out here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I chose Rafael for Marian's son's name because A) I don't particularly like the name Roland, B) I wanted something a little less white-ass Germanic, C) Raphael is the little cutie actor's name, and... best of all D) it's meaning is "God has healed" which if anyone was around for the YNB twitter saga, may also get a laugh out of the proximity of that to her highly inappropriate "Jesus fix it" comment.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. We're up to chapter 20 already! Thank you all for sticking with me, and thanks for all your kind comments and kudos and encouragement. I'm really blown away by the response I've had and I appreciate you all so much! You've really kept me motivated to keep the momentum going and update regularly. MWAH!

The second cup of strong, sweet coffee trickled into her veins, saving Emma's life the next morning, and she sipped it as fast as she could without burning herself. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, she was dressed and ready to go, but part of her wished she was still curled up in bed. She had drunk more wine than she intended to the night before, and wine always affects her more than beer does anyway, but she's not too rough, just a little dusty. Still, the beeping of the alarm remote on her keychain was piercing, and caused her to wince for the few seconds until Regina realized she had forgotten to disarm the door and did so. 

She took a few final sips and then poured the rest from her cup down the drain, and snagged her red jacket off the back of the sofa and locked her apartment. She was waiting in the corridor when the elevator doors opened.

She stepped in and greeted a very excited Henry, eager for his final soccer game of the season, and his mother. Regina looked amazing, as usual, although her make-up didn't quite cover the dark shadows under her eyes, and the vein in her forehead was pulsing. Leaning in the corner and wearing huge sunglasses and a floppy hat was Marian. She gulped, offered Emma a slight wave of her hand, and rested her head back against the wall. Emma and Regina shared a quick look of amusement.

Henry's last match was a home game, and they lugged the over-stuffed picnic basket, cooler bag, and blanket over to the closest spot they could get to centre-field considering they were running a little late this morning. They wished him luck and he ran off to warm-up with his teammates, and Regina walked off to the coffee shop up the street for their caffeine fixes.

"Why are children so loud?" Marian groaned. She sprawled out on the blanket as soon as Emma had shaken it out and laid it down. Emma dug around in the cooler and touched the bottle of icy water to Marian's cheek. She flinched and pulled away, droplets of condensation running down her cheek. "Oh that feels nice actually." She took the offered bottle and held it to her face.

Emma giggled. "Was it worth it?"

The prostrate woman groaned. "It was fun and I want to say yes, but right now I hate the world so... I don't know." She lifted the brim of the hat a little and peered out at Emma. "I hate you most. Look at you, all young and fit and able to have alcohol processed out of your system after five hours of sleep."

"Ouch, hate? That's a big swing from you saying you loved me last night." The blonde touched a hand to her heart. "I'm hurt."

"I'm allowed to change my mind." Marian grumbled.

Emma watched the kids for a while, then turned and saw Regina making her way towards them with a cardboard tray of coffees. She slapped the outside of the woman's thigh. "Come on, sit up. Coffee's here. Drink that water and have something to eat. You'll feel better than lying there trying to pretend you're not surrounded by people."

"Noisy people." Marian complained, but with a gulp she pushed herself up and crossed her legs in front of her. She opened the bottle and took a long drink of water. The over-sized sunglasses were aimed at Emma, though the face around them was slack and free of expression. The younger woman smiled, and it broke into a grin when all it achieved was to elicit another sigh.

Regina sat down, her legs tucked up beside her, the soles of her boots angled off the blanket. "Emma, would you mind going over there and bringing back that trash can? I think Oscar here might want to go home."

Emma laughed loudly and Regina smiled at her own joke. 

"Oh you're trying to be funny now are you? Picking on your best friend who feels awful because you lead her astray last night?" Marian needled.

Regina's whole body seemed to perk up as the sass-meter rose. "If anyone was leading anyone astray, dear, it was definitely you."

"No way. You knew that I'd never miss my godson's final game of the season so you decided to torture me." 

"He's not your godson."

"I know, I know. You broke with tradition and didn't assign god-parents. I still called dibs on him first if anything ever happened to you. Which it might, if you continue to harass me." She glared at her friend.

"You called dibs?" Emma asked amusedly.

"Yes I did. The first time I met him I called dibs." Marian took another sip of her coffee.

Emma scrunched her nose. "Really? They're pretty gross when they're first born. All smushy-faced and puking up milk."

"We didn't become friends until he was a few months old." Regina explained. "He was always gorgeous, thank you very much, but especially so by that age."

"Oh, sorry. I just assumed. Marian said you'd known each other since high school."

"We did, or knew of each other at least. I was two years ahead."

"She knew my husband better." Marian grinned.

Regina rolled her eyes. "I avoid him wherever possible."

"So do I, now." The younger brunette laughed softly. "He had a crush on Reggie in school. We found out after I married him that he still did." She explained.

Emma's eyes widened. "He didn't!"

Marian nodded. "He did. Made a move on her while I was in hospital after giving birth to Raf. He was a bit early and caught us by surprise, so Regina had been helping to get everything ready before we came home."

"What a douchebag!" The blonde exclaimed.

Both brunettes nodded in agreement, and Marian continued. "I knew as soon as I saw them that something had happened."

"Then he tried to manipulate the situation so that we would fight over him." Regina added.

Marian laughed. "I took great pleasure for a while in lording it over him that _I_ got the girl. Regina and Henry even moved in temporarily. I had a c-section so I couldn't drive, or lift much, heck I even needed help getting out of bed sometimes."

"Well she had been there for me when I needed her." Regina said, and reached out to squeeze Marian's shoulder.

"Yes! Henry. That's what we were talking about. So after she had Henry she was all frazzled being a single mom and no one had really seen her out and about for a while. Then one day she was at the diner with little baby Henry, and the new waitress had just spilled orange juice over the table, and it had splashed all over Regina's top. The crash woke Henry and he started crying, and poor Regina looked like _she_ was going to cry. She began to pack up her stuff to leave without even eating, so I went over to her."

"Marian was a lifesaver that day." Regina said softly.

Her friend smiled and continued. "I sat myself down on the other side of the booth, picked up Henry, and soothed him while she went and cleaned herself up so she could eat in peace."

"It wasn't really "in peace", dear. You talked to me the whole way through it." She looked over at Marian fondly. "You were exactly what I needed."

"Well what I need right now is the bathroom. Where is it?" Marian stretched out her long legs and reluctantly dragged herself to a standing position.

"And just like that you ruin a touching moment." Regina shook her head slowly. "Over there."

\------

Emma had been so proud of Henry winning the "Most Improved Player" award at the post-game award ceremony that she had given him a victory lap around the field atop her shoulders. Rightly so, since he had been on the verge of quitting the team before he met her. The pair had been stopped to talk with some of the kids when her stomach rumbled loudly. She could see a lot of the adults milling about the table, setting out food, but the call hadn't gone out yet.

"Hey, kid. What's say we go and see if we can steal some of that food without anyone noticing?" She asked and thumbed toward the table. He grinned and grabbed August, and the boys ran ahead while Emma trotted behind. She could see Regina unloading her picnic basket and chatting with Marco and a younger man with reddish blond hair who she presumed was August's dad. Marco saw the boys coming and excused himself, directing the kids down to the other end of the table to grab a soda. 

She slowed her pace and walked up next to Regina, who turned and smiled widely at her. "Emma, dear! There you are." She placed a hand on the small of her back to bring her into the conversation. 

The man extended his hand to her and gave her a friendly smile. "Archie Coscienza. Nice to meet you, Emma." His grip was warm and firm without being too tight, long enough to be respectful and not too long to be creepy. A lot can be known about a person by their handshake, and she already liked the guy.

"Nice to meet you too, Archie. I like your vest." She said, pointing to his olive, red, and tan, knitted sweater vest worn over a light tan button up.

"Thank you." He smiled, his head tilting down slightly with the compliment.

"August is a great kid. He and Henry really seem to have hit it off." She glanced over to the boys play-fighting, their movements stiff as though they were pretending to be robots or dinosaurs.

"Yes, he is a wonderful addition to Auggie's life. He became quite withdrawn when his mother and I separated last year, but he has seemed much more like his old self since befriending Henry." There was sadness in the man's voice and eyes, but also a quiet strength. Emma pressed her lips together in a sympathetic expression.

She noticed the small, tense smile Regina held. "How is your head?"

The older woman sighed. "It's alright. It'll be better once we're home and can have a lay down." Her thumb drew small circles on Emma's back and a tingle went up her spine. She opened her mouth slightly but she felt the solid eye contact Regina was giving her must have had meaning. 

She licked her lips and closed her mouth again. "Yeah. We shouldn't have stayed up so late last night. We're not as young as we used to be." She said with a smile, then looked at Archie and gave a little shrug.

Archie smiled politely at them both and cleared his throat. "Well I should call the pizza delivery again, they should have been here by now. It was lovely to see you again, Regina, and to meet you, Emma." He tipped his head to them and excused himself, and walked over toward where his father was with August and Henry.

Emma leaned in close to Regina and whispered. "Why were you acting like we're a couple?"

The brunette's hand dropped from her back but she stayed near to Emma. "I do believe Marco is trying to set me up with his son."

Emma looks over the shorter woman at the man's retreating form. "Why not just tell him?"

"Dear, I am already suffering after all that wine we drank, I couldn't possibly handle being polite enough for that conversation today."

Emma snorted. "So what am I, your.. what's the opposite of a beard?" She thought for a moment then moved on. "He seems nice..." 

"He does seem nice." Regina agreed, plucking at some imaginary lint from her purple cable-knit sweater. "We've already discussed "nice" people."

"Did I hear he was a doctor?"

"Yes, a psychologist. Quite a good one, apparently." She ran her thumbnail along underneath a fingernail on her other hand.

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "You had your _friend_ checked up on him too, didn't you."

Regina looked at her pointedly. "My _son_ has been spending a lot of time at his house."

Emma snickered. "So what did the report dig up then?"

The brunette rolled her eyes and sighed. "Nothing untoward." She confessed.

"And still you'd rather he think you're with me than to take a chance with him?" 

"Dear, I would be more likely to take a chance with you." Regina said with a smile, and surreptitiously looked over her shoulder at the man. Emma's heart skipped a beat. She swallowed and tried to covertly study the other woman's face for any signs as to whether she was joking or serious.

Regina glanced at Emma, then turned the other way to look over to the quiet spot under the trees where Marian had moved their picnic blanket. "The question is, are you brave enough to face the dragon for me?" She looked at Emma, a sparkle in her eyes and the corners of her mouth tweaked upwards. 

"Huh?"

Regina reached up between them and needlessly adjusted the red leather jacket. "Will you please go over and wake Marian?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I'm seriously considering re-writing the last chapter. The "ex-husband" part was my head-canon but to actually have it in there seems... well like my own personal feelings about the canon storyline have bled through and I feel like it's mean. It'd be better if I just alluded to things here and there and didn't fully explain it like that, don't you think?
> 
> Anyway, here's the next chapter. We skip ahead ten days or so. Hope you like it!

"Remind me why I agreed to this again?" Emma asked, tugging her grey beanie down a little lower over her ears. The cold breeze swirled around the trio as they stood on the sidewalk outside their building.

Regina hugged Henry a little closer to her and looked up and down the street. "Because, dear, when my mother wants something, she has a way of getting it. And she wanted you to come have Thanksgiving in Storybrooke." A forest green Range Rover turned onto the street and Regina bent to take hold of the handle on her suitcase. "Here she is."

The vehicle swung into the no-parking zone in front of them and the tall redhead jumped out of the driver's seat and rounded the vehicle. "Hello, darlings!" She said in her melodious British accent. Henry greeted her, hugged her and dragged his suitcase to the rear of the 4X4, opened the trunk and struggled a moment before the tailgate lowered also.

Regina gestured between the two women standing in front of and next to her. "Zelena, this is Emma. Emma, this is Zelena."

Zelena shook Emma's offered hand with a giggle, using it to pull her close so she could wrap her arms around her and kiss her on the cheek. "Delighted to meet you, Emma. I have heard so much about you!" She held her waist as the younger woman began to pull away, smiling widely at her. "My, you really are quite beautiful." She said softly.

Emma's cheeks reddened and not from the chill in the air. "Uhh, thanks." She mumbled. "Nice to meet you too."

Next to them, Regina rolled her eyes and picked up her suitcase, lugged it over to the Range Rover and hoisted it into the trunk, adjusting it in close to the two already in there. Emma was next to her in a moment, helping Henry with his. "Geez, kid. What do you have in here? Gold bars?"

Henry giggled. "Noooooo! Just some books and the comics that Abuelo hasn't read." He moved around back onto the sidewalk and clambered into the back seat.

"And a few gold bars, I reckon." She muttered, adjusting the suitcase's position and then slinging her own large duffel bag on top of it. She closed the tailgate and stepped out on the street side to hop in the back next to Henry, while Regina and Zelena took their places in the front.

The ride seemed a lot shorter to Emma this time, no doubt something to do with the distraction of playing games with Henry, listening to the banter between aunt and niece in the front seats, and singing along with the showtunes that Zelena seemed to have an affinity for. She still, however, felt the same churning anxiety in her stomach that she had felt the last time, possibly moreso given that she was already regretting not insisting on taking her own car and missing the freedom it gave her. Freedom to leave whenever she wanted. She was going to be stuck in Storybrooke for the next four days. She wondered if there was a Greyhound service that ran through town.

Either Cora was psychic, or probably more likely had either a GPS tracker in Zelena's car or spies in town to alert her of their arrival, because she was standing on the porch waiting to greet them when they pulled into the wide driveway. The large, white house loomed above them, and Emma bit her lip, her mouth feeling suddenly quite dry.

"Henry!" She called out into the house. "Henry they're here!"

Henry Jr ran up and hugged her, she kissed the top of his head and ruffled his messy brown hair. "Hello, darling." She murmured to him. An older gentleman appeared in the doorway behind her, the top of his head bald, the sides covered with short, grey hair, which also grew down his cheeks in styled sideburns. His facial hair resumed with a trimmed moustache and goatee beard. He wore a tweed jacket over a white shirt and pale yellow knitted vest.

"Nieto!" He exclaimed, and Henry extracted himself from Cora to hurl himself at his grandfather. Henry Sr lifted the boy up in the air. 

"Hello, sis." Zelena purred as she sidled up to Cora, suitcase in tow, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Zelena, you look well." Cora replied, patting her on the arm as she passed behind, heading into the house. Cora walked toward the two women who were closing the 4WD's tailgate after unloading the two suitcases and duffel bag. Emma smiled at her, and gently placed her hand on Regina's lower back, subtly pushing her into the fire first.

"Mother," Regina said coolly. She allowed Cora to hug her, though stiffly. Cora kissed her cheek and allowed her daughter to pass, and to fling herself into her father's arms behind her. 

"Papa!" Regina greeted the slightly taller, stoutly man, her arms around his neck.

"Mija!" He replied, lifting her off the ground and wiggling her a little. "I missed you."

Cora watched them for a moment with a small, sad smile, then turned to Emma. "Lovely to see you again, Emma. I am thrilled you were able to come." She politely kissed her on the cheek, refraining from an embrace, but patting her arm through the thick, fleece-lined jacket.

"Thanks for inviting me." Emma smiled at her in return, still a little bewildered at how this woman had managed to convince her to come and still make it seem like she'd had a choice in the matter. 

Henry Sr joined them and introduced himself with a firm handshake and a kiss on the cheek. "Lovely to meet you, Emma." He said warmly.

The procession, minus Zelena who had seemingly disappeared, and Cora who was busy hanging their coats up in the hall closet. They traipsed up the curved staircase, Regina in front with her case, Henry Sr carrying Henry Jr's case, Emma following behind with her own bag. Regina dropped her case into the first room, paused to let her father and son pass and go into the second room, and she joined Emma as they walked to the third room.

Regina opened the door and allowed Emma to walk in first. They both looked around in confusion. There was a large table taking up much of the space, a bookshelf filled with plastic tubs, cardboard boxes and photo albums against one wall, and some large blank canvasses propped up against another. Emma dropped her bag and with a crooked smile over her shoulder, walked to the table. Spread out upon it were photos, old and new, mostly of Regina and Henry. 

"Mother!" Regina called out to Cora who was almost at the top of the stairs. Her heels clicked along the hallway and the petite woman appeared in the doorway. "What happened to the guest room?"

"I turned it into a craft room. I've begun to scrapbook as a way to unwind." She said excitedly and stepped into the room.

"But where is Emma supposed to sleep?" 

"Oh, Dear, there's no need to be apart under our roof. I'm not one of those mothers.” Cora laughed and patted her daughter on the arm.

Emma laughed nervously, and Regina pinched the bridge of her nose, rubbing the corners of her eyes. “Mother! We're not together!”

Cora looked between her daughter and Emma, and watched Emma grimace and scratch the back of her neck. "But I thought you two were... when I phoned she was sleeping on the sofa. I thought you two must have had an argument.”

“No, Mother. That was... she was just... We're not together.” Regina heaved a sigh and placed her hands on her hips.

“I see, I'm sorry for the misunderstanding." The older woman smiled apologetically at Emma and then guiltily at her daughter. "Still, you're adults, you could still share a bed. As you can see, I've turned the spare guest room into a craft studio, and Zelena has taken the basement apartment.” She turned to face Emma again. "Unless you would like to take the fold out bed down there. It's not very comfortable I'm afraid, but I'm sure Zelena won't mind." 

Regina stomped out of the room and interrupted her father's in-depth conversation with his namesake. “Henry, put your bag in my room, okay? Emma will take your room.”

Both Henry's looked from her to the women behind her standing in the hallway. "Why?" He asked.

“Your abuela has turned the spare room into a craft room, Henry, but since Emma is our guest she should at least be able to expect the privacy of her own bedroom.”

“Fine.” He said with an exaggerated sigh, and began packing his comics back into his bag. Henry Sr picked it up and carried it out past the women. 

“Thanks, kid.” Emma said, with a ruffle to his hair as he dragged his feet past her.

Late in the afternoon, Emma snuck back upstairs for some quiet time while Cora and Regina were busy cooking that night's dinner and preparing for the Thanksgiving lunch the next day. They had shooed her out after she had helped for a while, claiming secret ingredients and family-only recipes, and "too many cooks." The other three were deep in a game of Monopoly in the family room, and she didn't want to interrupt.

She climbed the stairs and sat on her bed. It had a How To Train Your Dragon bedspread on it, a number of kids books on the shelf, but it was clear it wasn't a room Henry had actually lived in for any length of time. The wallpaper and furniture were in fitting with the rest of the house, clearly just a guest room that had been prepared for the boy. She hung a few items of clothing in the closet, plugged in her phone charger next to the bed and sighed.

Curious and bored, she made her way down to the next room and opened the door again. She walked over to the table and bent down to look more closely at the photos strewn across the table. There was one of Cora as a young woman, proudly holding her baby in a long, flowing christening gown. Another of her in a pale aqua jacket and tan jodhpurs, smiling widely and holding the reins to a large chestnut horse with a white blaze. There were candid photos, the early teen with wavy hair, her arm slung around a taller, curly-haired blonde. She smiled at all the 90s velvet choker necklaces she used to wear, and the impressive up-dos she used to pull off. 

She picked up another that caught her eye. Regina in a pale blue dress, her hair parted in the middle and plaited just back off her face, her long dark waves falling down over her bare shoulders, a simple necklace sparkling from just below the hollow of her throat. The dress' tight blue bodice with it's off the shoulder sleeves was decorated with lace and cut into a v below her waist, blue satin billowing out over her hips and down to the floor. Her make-up was subtle, the natural look complimenting her youthful face. Emma smiled at the image of the girl, and placed it back down on the table next to her.

She was looking at one of Regina in a pale blue scoop neck, sitting on a rocking chair next to a window, baby Henry draped across her. She stroked her finger over it when a voice startled her. Regina appeared at her side, joining her to gaze at the photos. "You didn't take long to start snooping."

Emma winced and put down the photo. "Sorry." She said, though she was only sorry she had been caught and she suspected Regina knew it. The brunette picked up the photo of herself in the blue dress and studied it for a moment.

"When was that taken?" Emma asked.

"Debutante ball." Regina answers quietly. She places the photo back on the table, face down. "I came to tell you dinner will be ready in ten minutes."

Emma nodded and turned to leave, but stopped abruptly causing Regina to bump her with her shoulder. She reached out and moved a ream of paper on the shelf, uncovering the manila folder she had seen poking out from underneath it with Mary-Margaret White printed across the bottom. She tugged it out and opened it, and her mouth dropped open.

"What the hell is this?" She demanded, though she didn't actually suspect Regina knew since she was examining it curiously with a frown as well. "What is this, the military? It's all redacted." All the documents were photocopies, parts blanked out and most of the names missing.

She placed it on the table and spread out the documents. It was mostly correspondence, some typed on a typewriter, some printed on a dot matrix printer. They pored through, shocked at the contents, and only stopped when Emma took a step back and sniffed, wiping her eyes.

"She knew." She said as Regina reached out for her hands. "She knew."


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, the first part of this chapter didn't come easily at all. Took me a number of re-writes and I'm still not completely happy with it. Still, I wanted to post it so I don't get stuck and stop writing altogether so here it is!
> 
> Update: I re-wrote it again. Hope it's better. I think it's better.

"Yes, dear. I am sorry to say that I did." Cora said from the doorway. "I am sorry you found out this way, I had planned to explain this all to you and Mary-Margaret together, later this week."

"Is this the file that Mr Gold gave to her?" Emma said, her voice tight with emotion. "She said she didn't know that I wasn't adopted."

"Mr Gold apparently only gave Mary-Margaret the documents with her and David's names on them regarding the initial adoption after your birth, along with the letters that she and your father had written to the agency. She doesn't know about all this." Cora looked at the paperwork strewn across the table. "Even I didn't quite know the extent of this... situation before."

"What did you know?" Regina asked. Emma glanced in her direction as she moved closer to her side.

The Mayor sighed. "I found out years later that the initial adoption had fallen through. I didn't have the influence that I do now, dear. I was up against men with power far greater than I possessed, and a far greater reach into official channels. Knowing what I now know, I regret that I didn't tell your mother at the time, however I believed... Well, I blindly trusted, that a young, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl would easily be adopted by another couple, likely one more suitable than those that had procured you as a baby."

"Procured?" Emma questioned, narrowing her eyes. She shrugged off Regina's hand from her shoulder and crossed her arms. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Cora clasped her hands together. "I am afraid that I still don't know all the details and fear that some followed your grandfather to his grave, but I believe that in some small way it may have been a blessing in disguise that you entered the foster system."

The blonde's face darkened. "You did not just say that!" She growled, raised her hand and pointed her finger at Cora. Both brunettes noticed her hand shaking slightly. "You have no idea." She hissed.

Cora winced. "From what I gathered, the intended adoptive parents were involved in illegal activities, and abandoned you to the foster system when they hastily left the country. It seemed that some kind of lingering dispute had blocked your adoption paperwork."

"Dispute? With who?"

"You must understand, Emma, that much of what I am saying has been patched together with the barest of information. I don't have all the answers." The older woman explained.

"With who?" She demanded again, her voice louder.

"I believe Paul-- Mr Gold blocked your adoption either at either the behest of or to spite Mr Nolan."

"My father?"

Cora shook her head. "No, dear. His father, Albert."

Emma shifted her weight from one leg to the other and then back again, and placed her hands on her hips. "You're saying I was sold as a baby by one grandfather, my adoption was blocked because of the other, and the people who had tried to adopt me were criminals who ditched me to skip the country? And this was all arranged by the ex-Mayor?"

"Mr Gold wasn't the Mayor at the time, but yes. I believe so."

Emma scoffed and paced like a caged lion in the small room. "This is fucking crazy, you know that right? This all sounds fucking crazy!" She rounds off and faces the Mayor again. "And none of you did anything? You all just... you just left me out there?"

Cora reached out to touch Emma but she jerked out of her reach. She glanced at her daughter and saw the anger simmering below the surface. "Mr Gold did attempt to retrieve you from the foster system, but initally was unable to and was later ordered off doing so. He was then instructed to block future attempts at contact, hence the retrieval of the letters."

"By who?" Emma gritted out.

The older woman paused and took a breath before answering. "Leopold White."

Emma rubbed a hand over her face and pinched her lower lip between her thumb and forefinger. She didn't shrug off Regina's supportive hand on her shoulder the second time she offered it, but her body tensed. She lifted her head, chin jutted out to the older woman. "What was your involvement?"

Cora walked up closer to the young woman and her daughter. "I drove Mary-Margaret to Boston. I kept their secret, at the time thinking it was her secret. This," she gestured to the paperwork on the table, "Was left behind when I took office earlier this year."

The blonde twisted out of Regina's touch. "You knew about all this!"

"No! I didn't, Emma." She held her hands up in surrender.

Her finger pointed at Regina this time. "It wouldn't be the first time you kept something from me. Who knows if you ever would have told me if Marian hadn't let slop that you knew about my mother staying with your aunt."

"I would have! I swear. It was as I told you; I saw Mother drive away with Mary-Margaret when I was a child, and Zelena only recently told me more. I didn't know any of this, Mother wouldn't tell me anything when I asked."

Cora nodded. "She's right, I hadn't told her any of this."

"Why?" Emma asked, whirling back to the older Mills woman. "Why would he open this can of worms now?"

"I don't know, dear. I don't believe Mr Gold suddenly developed a conscience, especially since he has been quite particular in the information he has disseminated. I fear only time may tell. He is known for his... manipulations." The older woman replied.

Emma ran a hand through her hair, her breathing heavy and her jaw clenched, then she stormed out of the room. Regina stood and watched her mother step aside quickly out of the blonde's way, then met her eyes. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" She asked her.

"Would you have believed me?" Cora asked sadly. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know you look up to Paul."

"It's safe to use the past tense on that now, Mother. I don't anymore." Regina said, shaking her head. "I can't believe you didn't tell me any of this. You let me ingratiate myself with wolves."

"The world is full of wolves, dear. At least these were ones I knew." Her daughter threw her a disgusted look, and she sighed. "I did try to coax you away to work with me instead, but I couldn't tell you what I knew without divulging a secret that could have affected Zelena's citizenship. You always had a tendency to over-react. I couldn't risk it." Cora stepped forward and placed her hands on her daughter's upper arms, and she didn't miss the hurt that flashed across Regina's face before she tensed at the touch and pulled away. 

Regina cast her eyes again at the mess intentionally made of Emma's life, spread across the table on top of photos of the mess of her own. Her eyes fell upon a photo of her atop her beautiful chestnut steed, Rocinante, and out of focus behind her the blurred image of a smiling, brown-haired boy leaning against the fence railing. "Her eyes are green, mother." she murmured, and walked out of the room.

She almost bumped into Emma in the hallway as the younger woman came charging out of her room. She had changed into leggings, running shoes, and a t-shirt under an unzipped hoodie, and she was pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail. "Where are you going?"

"I need to clear my head." Emma said, and started down the stairs.

Regina followed her, doing an admirable job of keeping up in her heels. "Emma, wait."

"I can't." Emma said over her shoulder, and she caught her neighbour's eye as she turned to pull the front door closed behind her.

"Where's Emma going?" Henry asked, walking out of the family room to the foyer. Regina pulled him close, her arm around his shoulder, and kissed him on the top of his head. "Dinner is ready."

"She'll be back." She said to him, hoping it was the truth.

Emma didn't know the geography of Storybrooke particularly well, but she knew Main Street and, from there, how to get to Regina's parents' house on Mifflin Street, and also to her mother's apartment. She set out towards the center of town, reaching it too quickly and her thoughts were still jumbled, so she continued past the apartment and looped around past the beach and the docks. The second time she approached, she felt much more ready.

She climbed the stairs and straightened her clothes before she knocked on the green door of apartment number 3. Floorboards creaked under footsteps on the inside, and the door swung open. A very young and very heavily pregnant blonde woman smiled at her, slightly perplexed. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Mary-Margaret, is this the right address?" Emma asked.

She heard her mother's voice from within the apartment. "Is that Emma?"

The girl's face brightened. "Hey!" Emma called out, and the girl stepped aside to let her in.

"It's nice to meet you Emma, your mom has been told me all about you." The girl said excitedly, and Emma grimaced a little at the familial term and it's implication that her mother actually knew much about her, but she held it back as much as she could. "I'm Ashley."

"Hi Ashley." She said. "Hi Mar- oh my gosh, you cut your hair!" Emma exclaimed. Her mother's back was to her as she was scrubbing her floury pastry-caked hands in the sink. Her dark tresses which last time had flowed down her back were now cut into a short pixie style. The older woman dried her hands and hurried across the room, wrapping Emma in a quick but firm hug.

"Yes, I did." She rubbed her hand through the cropped hair on the back of her head, then tousled the locks on top. "I've had it long my whole life, but I felt like... Well I felt like a change. Like a fresh start." She dropped her hand and took Emma's with it instead, her thumb gently stroking across the back of it.

Emma felt a clenching in her chest, and she swallowed. "It looks really cute. It really suits you." She said honestly. "Am I interrupting you, dropping in unannounced like this?"

"No! No. It's good to see you." Mary-Margaret grinned. "I thought I wasn't going to see you until tomorrow. Ashley and I were just making the cherry pie."

"I'll leave you two to it." Ashley said, plucking her coat from the hook on the wall. "Thank you." She squeezed Mary-Margaret's hand. "I hope I see you again, Emma." She said, and she slipped out the door.

"Can I get you something to drink? Would you like a cocoa?" Her mother asked.

Emma felt the chill of the evening air still prickling at her skin, the warmth from within would do well to thaw her out. "Yeah, that'd be great. Can I help you with the pie?"

Mary-Margaret pulled out a bar stool. "Nope. You sit there and talk to me while I work. We were almost done anyway." She poured milk into a saucepan and put it on the element while Emma's eyes scoured the room. It was an open-plan loft, half exposed brick and half distressed render. Recycled furniture was scattered around the room, enough that it would have looked messily cluttered in a room any smaller, but somehow worked. There was a bed underneath the window, next to a corner room, walled off with frosted glass. There was a wide, permanent ladder up to a mezzanine floor.

"So who is Ashley?" Emma asked, a little surprised at the slightly jealous tone she had used.

Her mother didn't seem to notice. "I've known her from the YWCA for quite a few years now, poor girl came to me when she found out she was pregnant and her step-mother kicked her out. What a piece of work that woman is!" She poured the cherry filling into the pie and placed the pastry lattice carefully over the top. "I helped Ashley to find work, a place to live, and I've spending time with her to boost her self-esteem so if she does decide to keep the baby then she'll have more confidence in her ability to be a mother."

"She's not sure if she'll keep it?" Emma asked, and reached out to wipe a drip of sauce off the counter with her finger, which she stuck in her mouth and hummed with pleasure.

"No. She is young, she was convinced she wasn't going to be able to do it herself, but it seems the father is coming around to the idea and has started to support her more as well." The older woman turned and placed the pie into the preheated oven and fetched two cups from the cupboard, placing a scoop of chocolate mix from a jar into each.

Emma studied her mother's face. "What do you think she should do?"

Grey blue eyes looked up at her, the wrinkles in the corners of her eyes becoming more defined as her expression pinched. "What's best for her, obviously. But I'd like her to see what I see in her and know that she could be a great mother, if she wanted to." Mary-Margaret turned and picked up the pot of steaming but not quite boiling milk and carefully began pouring it into the cups. "Of course, if she decides not to keep it, I'm sure Mr Gold will find it a loving home."

Emma's hand dropped from where it was propped with her chin rested on it, and it slapped palm-down on the counter. "What? Mr Gold?"

Her mother flinched and the motion caused her to spill a small amount of the milk over the side of the mug. "Before he was the mayor he was a lawyer, specialising in family law and adoption."

"No-" Emma began.

"Emma, I'm sure your adoption... falling through... was a one-time thing." She tried to console the younger woman who was shaking her head side to side.

"No. No you can't let him take her baby. That's what I came here to talk to you about. What happened with mine. What he did."

Mary-Margaret put the pot down and stirred the first cup of chocolate. "What do you mean what he did?"

The blonde took a deep breath and let her cheeks puff out as she exhaled. "He gave you copies of some of the paperwork, but he didn't give you all of it. He left a file behind when he left office, and Mayor Mills found it. I saw it tonight. Mar, he sold me." Her mother's mouth gaped open, her hand stilled, no longer stirring her drink. "The reason my adoption didn't go through was because he blocked it over some dispute."

"Dispute over what?" Mary-Margaret said softly, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Not sure, that wasn't in the file. But there were documents referencing a transfer of money. Mayor Mills said the adoption was initially blocked because of David's father, and when the adoptive parents dumped me in foster to skip the country Mr Gold was instructed to stop trying to get me back, and later on to burn the trail."

"Why would Albert block the adoption and then stop you from being brought back?" Her mother asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"It wasn't Nolan who stopped him from getting me back." Emma shook her head. "It was your father."

Mary-Margaret looked down, her lips pursed and her eyes fixed on the two mugs but her mind elsewhere. After a minute, she licked her lips. "He knew?"

"Yeah." Emma hopped off the bar stool and walked around the kitchen island to her mother's side and cautiously placed a hand between her shoulder blades, rubbing gently over the soft, white, woollen sweater.

Her mother looked up at her, tears building in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Emma." She launched into her, wrapping her slightly shorter daughter in a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry he did that." Emma brought her other hand up and held her mother, still a little stiffly.

She pulled back and cupped the blonde's face in her hands. Her expression solidified into firm resolve. "We can't let him take Ashley's baby. I'll talk to her tomorrow. Oh! It's Thanksgiving. I'll talk to her on Friday." She dropped her hands and resumed stirring the chocolate into the milk, her head cocked at an angle while she thought.

"You didn't seem all that surprised that your father would have done that." Emma said, taking the mug offered to her.

Mary-Margaret sighed. "I can't say that I am. When I was a little girl I adored him, I loved him with all my heart. As I got older I began to see him for the man he truly was, and unfortunately, as awful as this is, no it doesn't really surprise me."

"Is that why you changed your name to Blanchard?" Emma asked, taking a sip.

Her mother stopped stirring. "In a way."

"What do you mean?" She dug again, sensing the older woman was holding back.

"Yes, it was because of the man I found out he was." She said, and looked Emma in the eye.

Emma narrowed her own. "What aren't you telling me?"

Mary-Margaret shook her head, picked up her own mug, and walked around the kitchen island into the living room. Her daughter followed her. "Mary-Margaret?" She didn't answer and Emma felt the frustration taking hold again. "Mary-Margaret! For crying out loud! Why the hell is everyone keeping secrets from me? I'm a grown-ass woman!"

The brunette sat down on the small sofa and sat her cup on a coaster on the coffee table, and leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. "Some stories are not mine to tell, Emma." She said softly.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone has been having enjoyable holidays! Sorry this has taken a while to upload, I got a little stuck after not being happy with the last chapter. I spent a fair bit of time going over it and I think it's a bit better now. Re-read it if you like, though nothing fundamental changed so you won't be lost if you don't. I just amped up the tension a bit and changed a few details, the structure of some conversations, etc. This chapter is a little shorter but the next one should be longer.

On Thanksgiving morning, Emma avoided the kitchen where the other three women bustled around preparing the food. Or rather, the two Mills women bustled around while the tall redhead sat on one of the bar-stools and sipped at a glass of apple cider that definitely tasted hard when Emma had accidentally sipped it instead of her own earlier at breakfast. She instead spent in the living room with both Henrys, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and playing board games.

They were about to start another round of Scattergories when the doorbell rang, and expecting her mother, Emma offered to answer it. She picked up her empty glass and trotted out to the front door and saw Cora emerging from the kitchen just before she opened it. 

Instead of her mother it was the Sheriff, he smiled widely at her. "Hello again, Emma." He said, in his rolling English accent.

Before Emma could reply, Cora joined her at the door. "Graham! How lovely to see you. Please, come in."

He stepped in the door and kissed the Mayor on the cheek. "Thank you for inviting me again, Madam Mayor." He held out a small gift bag to her. "A little something to show my gratitude." 

She peeked inside it then slapped him playfully on the arm. "Oh Graham, you know you don't need to do that."

Emma closed the door behind him, and he turned to her. He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek at the same time she held out her free hand to shake his. They awkwardly laughed and turned her face, allowing him to kiss her cheek. She saw Regina's head pop out from the kitchen.

"Graham!" She said, walking slowly towards them, her eyes flicking from him to Emma and back again. "It's good to see you." She looked pointedly at her mother as he kissed her cheek. "Can I get you a drink? Iced tea?"

"Yes please." He said with a wide grin. Cora took his black leather jacket and hung it in the closet. His light grey shirt and dark grey tie didn't quite match his brown waistcoat and pants, but with his fashionably scruffy hair and trimmed beard, it was clear he had made an effort.

The doorbell rang again and Emma turned to open it, this time it was her mother standing on the porch, a large box in her hands. 

Further greetings went around the group huddled in the foyers. Emma had to calm her breathing at the slight claustrophobia that began to creep up on her, and swallowed down her anxiety about her first Thanksgiving among family.

Graham was directed into the living room while Emma followed the women to the kitchen to re-fill her glass, this time she happened to catch Zelena during a re-fill and the woman topped her own glass up with the hard cider with a conspiratorial wink. 

After Cora relieved Mary-Margaret of the cherry pie and the tray of devilled eggs from the box she was holding, Mary-Margaret joined Emma and Zelena at the kitchen table and hugged them both, but Zelena for an especially long time. It had obviously been a while since they had seen each other.

Emma felt a little awkward so she turned to see what the Mills women were doing before remembering she wasn't feeling particularly chatty with either of them. She caught a hushed conversation between the mother and daughter, though she tried to act as though she wasn't listening.

"You didn't tell me you invited Graham." Regina whispered harshly as she re-tied the apron around her waist that she had removed before she had greeted the guests.

"He has been invited the past four years, Regina. If you're not with..."

"I'm not." Regina pinched the bridge of her nose, her other hand rested on her hip. "But you thought..."

Cora turned her hands upwards. "He's such a nice man, Regina. If you were... it would help him to let it go. But you're not so maybe you two can re-kindle..."

Regina glared. "Mother!"

Suddenly the hard cider didn't seem nearly hard enough. "Hey, slow down." Zelena hissed from beside her with a nudge of her elbow. "That's the good stuff."

Not long after, they were all summoned to the dining room to take their places. The large table was filled with colourful dishes, the large turkey at one end, the carving knife at it's side. Each place setting was perfect, the beautiful china and exquisite silverware complimented by the napkin rings and hand-printed name cards. Cora ushered Henry Jr, Emma and Graham to the far side of the table, with Zelena, and Mary-Margaret taking their places on the near side. Henry Sr was at the head of the table next to the turkey, and Cora facing him at the other.

Regina's footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs, and she appeared in the room a moment later. "Sorry I'm late." She said, and she tucked her hair behind her ear, her deep red lips curved in an apologetic smile, and a fine gold chain glinted at her throat. She had changed into a plum red, sleeveless sheath dress that fit like a glove and caused two people in the room to gulp. She noticed her name card on the one empty seat, and her expression tightened as she shot a look toward her mother and sat down at her father's side, opposite Graham and beside Mary-Margaret. Her father patted her shoulder and filled her glass with one of the bottles of gewürztraminer that she had helped Emma to select as the gift she insisted on bringing to her parents.

Emma looked down and hoped she didn't stain her new blue satin Isabel Marant shirt, and part of her missed her usual Thanksgiving of just her, Mulan and Rory stuffing their faces with Tofurky, usually while wearing pyjamas or their most comfortable slob-wear, while Aurora would regale them again with all the reasons why she refused celebrate Thanksgiving, though she too would help prepare and enjoy the feast they would consume. She wouldn't tuck the napkin in, but copied everyone else and placed it across her lap, though she made the concession of rolling up the sleeves of her shirt to her elbows.

Dishes were passed around as everyone loaded their plates with stuffing, rice with corn, roasted sweet potato, cornbread, green bean casserole, devilled eggs, minted peas, and sauteed carrots. Henry Sr served up the sliced turkey, and the cranberry sauce was passed around the table until Mary-Margaret offered it to Regina.

"No thank you. I prefer gravy." She said without looking at the woman next to her. She cast her eyes across the table to where Graham was passing the gravy to Emma. He paused and looked back at her as he heard her words, as did Emma's hand, about to take the gravy boat from it's saucer.

Graham looked back at the blonde. "Emma, would you like to pour yours first?" She tried to ignore the harsh glare that Regina gave her as she poured some over her turkey, and then over young Henry's vegetables at the kid's request. She replaced the gravy boat and Graham handed it across the table, to a somehow much less angry looking Regina.

"So, Emma," Graham said while he waited for everyone to finish plating their food before he began eating. "This is your first family Thanksgiving. What do you think so far?"

She looked up at her mother, beaming at her from across the table. "Uhh... it's pretty impressive, I guess." She didn't feel like admitting to the table how overwhelming it was all feeling. "This food all looks amazing too."

"It does, it does." He grinned and unconsciously licked his lips. "Actually I thought your dad might be here too."

She was grateful when her mother stepped in. "They're with Kathryn's mother. She broke her hip so the drive up here would have been too long for her. They're coming up tomorrow though so Emma will still get to spend time with her whole family this weekend." 

Part of her rebelled at the idea that this family was somehow automatically preferential, and again she felt a longing for the familiarity of the friends who, for many years now, had been the only family she had known.

"It has been a long time since I've had a family Thanksgiving too, Emma." Her mother said. "I usually help out Mother Superior at the soup kitchen and visit the two rest homes." She smiled sadly, and shook her head slightly. "You might be surprised at the number of people who don't visit their elders on the holidays."

A loud ringing startled her, and Graham stood up next to her. "I'm terribly sorry. Please excuse me." He walked briskly out into the foyer to answer the call.

Cora lifted her napkin from her lap. "Oh dear." She followed Graham out of the room, returning a moment later to collect his plate, which she took into the kitchen.

He stepped back into the room a few moments later. "I am so sorry, folks, but I have to go. Duty calls. Thank you for having me." He smiled at them all, and dipped his head slightly at Regina when she turned to look at him.

The Mayor appeared at his side with his lunch in a tupperware container. "What a shame. Here, take this with you, Sheriff. And please, come back tomorrow." He thanked her, kissed her on the cheek, and saw himself out. 

"Trouble in paradise." Emma said quietly.

Zelena grinned at her. "Not all families are as passively aggressive as ours."

Mary-Margaret chuckled. "Alcohol flows, secrets come out. It's a recipe for disaster."

"Yes well you would know." Regina muttered. 

Mary-Margaret's head turned to her right, a hurt look on her face. "Regina..." She whispered, but Regina only stared through the bottom of her wine glass at the wall next to Emma. Zelena reached to her right and gave Mary-Margaret's a brief, comforting pat on the forearm. 

As the dinner continued and the alcohol began warming their cheeks, the conversation flowed more smoothly between them all. All except for Regina and Mary-Margaret, which continued to be frosty at best. Emma frowned at her after one particularly cutting comment, and Regina had only glared back.

Later that afternoon, Emma reluctantly accompanied her mother to the rest homes. Despite having somewhat wanted to watch the Packers game with the Henrys, the tension between Regina and Mary-Margaret, and between Zelena and Cora, had been simmering uncomfortably for long enough that she really needed a break from it. 

She had ended up spoon feeding Myrna, a mute, elderly woman without any teeth something that was apparently pureed turkey and roasted vegetables. She talked about Portland, about Henry's soccer games and award, and about the family she never knew until now, just to fill in the silence. The woman's eyes never left her face, and before she left her to assist the next person, the woman's gnarled, arthritic hand clutched at her own. Emma blinked away the gathering moisture as she saw the abundant gratitude directed toward her. She leaned in and kissed the woman on the cheek, and she understood her mother's need to still come here, even though she had family now too.

_[18:42] Mary-Margaret has offered for me to stay with her tonight. We'll come around tomorrow for lunch, as planned._

_**[18:50] Fine.** _


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. I had a bit of a re-think in light of recent conversations had about keeping the beards out of SQ fanfic, especially AUs, unless they have a specific purpose. I decided that I'd swap that one tiny mention of a pirate-like character out of chapter 9, and actually I think the replacement is much funnier. I've left the pinecone part in, since he is a part of Marian's history, and the outcome of his part of the story was a much closer bond between the two women.

The town of Storybrooke awoke the next morning to a light blanket of snow, and after only a small amount of prompting, Emma sent David a message asking that he drive extra carefully.

The air was crisp and cool, the day overcast enough that the snow hadn't melted by the time everyone arrived for lunch at the Mills' mansion. Having associated David and Kathryn with Boston in her mind, it hadn't really occurred to Emma that they knew Cora and Henry very well, so she was surprised at the warm greetings they shared. She was also surprised to see Kathryn and Mary-Margaret embracing, laughing, and talking, and a lump rose in her throat when her mother and father locked eyes, a look passing between them of history shared that only they know, and they hugged for the first time in years.

The emotion almost spilled over when her father hugged her, her face pressed into his broad chest, a dome on his jacket ice cold against her cheek. He kept his long arm draped over her shoulder as they all entered the house to remove coats and wet boots, and ciders and whiskeys were poured while hot cocoas were made for the boys.

After promising to be careful of the furniture and Henry Sr warning them to not eat too much yet so they can give him a run with a game of soccer in the yard, Henry and Peter filled their plates with the Thanksgiving leftovers and took them into the living room to eat while playing video games. The adults gathered around the table, today's meal a lot more casually than the previous day's. 

Emma smiled at Graham's face when he glanced at her from the end of the table, Henry Sr chewing his ear off about Premier League football, and at the conversation her parents were having next to her. Regina and Kathryn were talking politics across from them, though she couldn't follow exactly what they were talking about with Cora and Zelena throwing random questions at her in between stints of bickering amongst themselves. She smiled at the explosions coming from the living room, and at domesticity of it all, the lack of suffocating formality of the previous day having eased her anxiety.

"So, Emma," Cora said, stirring her from her musings. "Regina said you are a bail bondsperson. Is that as dangerous as it sounds?"

"Not really." She replied, shrugging slightly. "I guess it can be, but most of the time it's desk work and phone calls, and a lot of sitting, waiting, and watching. The only dangerous part is the actual take-down, but I was trained well and have only had two captures go bad in seven years." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Regina stopped her conversation with Kathryn mid-sentence and looked at her across the table.

"Was one recently? Was that how you got the..." Cora pointed to her own eyebrow, and Emma realised that without applying her make-up this morning that the cut that Regina had caused appeared as a red line, almost healed but quite visible.

"Oh, uhh no." She began.

Regina interrupted. "Emma also teaches some self-defence classes, a rather adept pupil gave her that."

Emma glanced across at her, and when their eyes locked she understood that Regina did not want her family to know about her fears. While she may have disagreed and believed Regina should accept their support, she respected her wishes. She grinned. "Yeah, you say adept, I say overzealous." She saw Zelena look between her and Regina and decided to distract. "The first time was a take-down at a bar, the guy smashed his bottle and tried to stab me with it." Her fingers brushed over her silver circle necklace as she pulled down the cowl-neck of her tight plum sweater to show Cora and Zelena the scar on her chest, an inch-long white line just above her heart. They oooh'd at it just as she knew they would, and she smiled at their predictable response. 

"The other was when a guy had an unexpected friend who knocked me clean out with one punch. Woke up a short time later missing my wallet, phone and handcuffs." She looked around the room and realised that she now had everyone's attention. "Don't worry, I tracked him and his friend down, and took along my two big, burly co-workers when I pinched him. He regretted it."

"Was that here or in Portland?" Regina asked, her fingers tightly gripping the stem of her wine glass.

"The stab wound was Portland, the concussion was right after I moved to Boston." There was concern written all over her friend's face. "Before I met you." She added.

"Are these criminals mostly men that you track down?" Mary-Margaret asked, her face a mixture of concern and pride.

Emma scrunched her face. "Definitely a majority. They're often harder to track down and require a more physical apprehension, but the women are often more taxing. So many are women who have either been caught up in something their boyfriend or husband has done or they've just been trying to provide for their kids. Where I can I try to talk them into coming in with me rather than taking them by force. Give them a chance to arrange for someone to take the kids. I give them cards for organizations who may be able to help them. Some of the guys too, you get a pretty good feel for the good people who caught a bad break. They're the ones that stick in your mind and haunt your dreams."

The room had fallen silent and all eyes were on Emma. She hated being the centre of attention and suddenly felt that the room was too small again. Thankfully, Graham broke the silence. "You know, I have a deputy's position available, if you're interested in moving up to our delightful little town. I could do with someone like you, who knows how to handle herself."

Emma blushed and smiled. She could see Regina's harsh expression aimed at her so she avoided eye contact. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. So... how about that game of soccer?" 

The group meandered out into the back yard, Cora and Kathryn pulled on their coats and sat in the chairs on the porch, and the two boys, three men, and Zelena, Emma and Mary-Margaret trotted out onto the white-coated lawn. Henry Sr had set up small plastic nets at either end of the large yard, and he and the boys were using sticks to cut a border line in the snow around the makeshift pitch.

Emma turned back and saw Regina pulling on a long, woollen coat. "Come on, Regina. You're needed to even up the numbers." The two Henrys stood at one end with Peter and David, Henry Sr taking the goal. Zelena took the other goal and was flanked by Mary-Margaret and Graham. Regina hesitated, looked down somewhat dismayed that she was indeed wearing a casual outfit of flat boots, black jeans, and a black turtleneck.

She relented and removed the light grey overcoat, and joined the side with the boys as Emma sided with the other women and Graham. They agreed on a first to five game, and decided on the kick off by a game of rock, paper, scissors. 

Emma called a time-out when the scores levelled out at 4 all, and she huddled with her team. Regina scowled at the Sheriff's arm resting across Emma's back as they discussed tactics. Peter and David were good players, but were Emma and Graham. Henry Sr was a better goalie, but Regina didn't like to pass the ball, and Mary-Margaret was an excellent defender, so the game was very close. They broke the huddle and re-took their positions for the opposition kick off.

Henry booted it down-field and charged after it followed by Peter. David, Regina and Henry Sr hung back. Zelena passed the ball to Mary-Margaret, who drew the boys in before passing it forward to Graham. The Sheriff dribbled it up-field, David bearing down on him, while Emma ran up the opposite wing towards Regina. Graham kicked it across in front of the retreating Peter and Emma reached her foot out to collect it only to be tackled to the ground, the impact rolling her and Regina across the snow. She ended up laying on top of Regina, both their expressions one of surprise, Regina's containing an element of satisfaction as well.

"You cheat!" Emma crowed. "That was a total foul!"

Regina scoffed from her position on her back, her almost black hair fanned out to one side across, a contrast to the white snow. "Oh please. That was a legitimate attempt to gain possession."

"Nuh uh, you took me out before the ball even got that close. That's a free kick to us." Emma narrowed her eyes at the woman beneath her. Regina's eyes were dark, and Emma's eyes were drawn to her lips as she licked them.

A firm hand grabbed her by the arm and assisted her up. "Are you both alright?" Graham asked, concerned. 

"I am." She said, and reached down and offered a hand to the brunette, who accepted it. "Are you?"

"Yes, Miss Swan. Good luck with your free kick." She said, getting up close to Emma's face. "You'll need it to get a goal from here."

Emma stuck her chin forward defiantly. "Oh you have no idea what I'm capable of."

"Alright you two, break it up." David said, his large form looming over the pair facing off. Emma turned and walked away from Regina to collect the ball, and Regina, David and their team retreated back ten yards. In the end, Henry Sr deflected the attempt, only for the ball to rebound off his arm to Peter, who ran lightning fast down field before passing it to Henry who kicked a direct shot past his aunt.

David clapped his son on the back before hoisting Henry up onto his shoulders for a victory lap. Regina smirked at Emma, who just laughed and shook her head. She offered her hand to the woman who shook it and grinned back at her. "Good game, Mills."

"Not bad, Swan. Not bad."

XxxxxxxxxX

Late that afternoon after Graham and the Nolans had gone, Regina, who had swapped her slightly sweaty turtleneck for a plum silk shirt over a black camisole and under a royal blue blazer, wandered into the kitchen to find Emma gazing out the window into the yard. She had a lowball tumbler in her hand, and she swirled the ice around with the remaining scotch.

"Emma." She said, and the blonde jolted. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

She smiled. "It's okay, my mind was away with the fairies."

"I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk, there's something I wouldn't mind showing you." Regina wasn't certain why Emma was by herself in here, and hoped that the younger woman wanted a break away from family as much as she did.

"Okay."

Emma pulled her chunky grey cardigan around her a little tighter around her over her own black turtleneck as the pair walked up Mifflin Street, away from the town centre. The slight incline caused their breathing to get louder in the silence between them. Emma looked at the houses as they passed them, and the anger flashed through her that she could have grown up here. The deep breaths she was sucking in were helping to filter out the painful thoughts with every exhale. Every foster home, every group home, every rich old man that had caused her to be there, every person who kept a secret from her, every day she had felt alone, every time she wondered about her parents, every pair of worn out shoes, every toy that was never hers, every chance she should have had but didn't.

The road ended in a cul-de-sac, but there was a foot path leading up the hill, curving into the trees. The sun was getting low in the sky, but the path was wide and the glow on the horizon was enough to light their way. They walked up the incline, slowing as it got steeper, until they reached where steps had been cut into the path. They reached a clearing, a ridge that opened out with a town outlook. Regina lead them over to a wooden bench that faced the twinkling lights, away from the car parking area. 

The view was lovely, and Emma gazed out over the harbour to her left, the town lights in front, and the street lights from the road out of town cutting through the darkness of the trees beyond it. The sun was dipping low over the hills to her right, the sky awash with reds and oranges, becoming purples across above them and blue into navy and black out to sea.

"This is nice." She pulled her knees up and hugged them to her chest.

Regina sighed and looked out over the water. "I used to come up here a lot. First with my best friend, and later with Daniel."

Emma looked across at her companion. "Who's Daniel?"

"The man I planned to marry." She said, not taking her eyes off the horizon.

"What happened?" She asked, and Regina was silent for just long enough that Emma thought she wasn't going to answer.

"He died." 

Emma's heart sunk. "I'm sorry." She waited, and wondered whether or not to ask, but figured Regina had brought him up, so why not. "How?"

"I used to have a horse, Rocinante, when I was young. When I went away to college, my parents moved him to different stables where he could be cared for and ridden in my absence. Daniel was a stablehand there. We met the first summer I returned." She stopped, and Emma watched in the low light as her jaw muscles clenched and unclenched. "When I graduated and moved back, we were together for three months when he proposed." She laughed softly. "Mother was most displeased."

Emma rested her chin on her knees and gazed at Regina's side profile as she continued.

"One day we were riding out in the forest and we came across a fallen tree. Rocinante cleared it easily but his horse refused at the last moment and threw him over the trunk. He died instantly."

"Oh my god." Emma said. "That's awful."

Regina sniffed and wiped her cheek. "What was worse was having to leave him there in the mud to ride back alone for help, and then lead the rescue team out to him."

Emma reached out and placed her hand on Regina's shoulder, and gave it a squeeze. They sat in silence, Regina allowing the small comfort of Emma's hand to remain, until it was removed a few minutes later as she reached into her cardigan pocket to retrieve a flask bottle of tequila. "Shots?"

The brunette looked around at her, the wetness of her eyes shimmering in the almost completely faded evening light, and her white teeth cut through the darkness as she laughed. "Should I even ask why you have that on you?"

With a shrug and a coy smile, Emma replied. "You wanted to go for a walk, I thought you might need a drinking buddy."

Regina laughed again and took the offered bottle. She uncapped it and took a swig, her face pinched as she waited for the burn. She looked at Emma with surprise. "Actually, that's not half bad." She passed it back to the blonde for a swig, and so it went a few more times until the blonde recapped it and sat it in the small space between them.

"Thanksgiving, huh?" Emma mused. "Is it always like this?"

"What, everyone spilling their secrets?" Regina asked, turning to the younger woman again. "No, it's not."

"I'm sorry I accused you of withholding information yesterday."

"I'm sorry I withheld information from you before, causing you to have reason to believe I'd do it again." Regina countered. "How about we agree to not keep secrets from each other? At least ones that relate to each other."

Emma sucked in a breath and pinched her lower lip between her thumb and forefinger.

Regina turned to face the younger woman, and scooted a little closer to see her better in the dying light. "Miss Swan?"

"Regina, I..." Emma exhaled pointedly again, and lowered her legs down again, scooting further upright on the seat. She looked to her left and swallowed at the sight of dark eyes watching her closely, curiously. "I adore you." She said just above a whisper.

The moment hung between them, the little grey puffs of breath mixing in between them, and just as Emma thought she was about to explode with embarrassment she felt soft lips pressing against hers. They stayed still a moment, barely touching, and Emma pressed forward to renew their firmer contact. Her hand slid up against the smooth skin of Regina's face, her fingertips dipped just barely into dark locks behind her ear, her thumb stroked gently across her cheekbone.

She felt Regina's tongue flutter across her lips and she parted them, allowing it to enter and she touched it with her own on it's next pass. She tasted the tequila in Regina's mouth and wondered briefly if this was only due to the alcohol. She pulled their lips apart, and pressed their foreheads together and, still cupping the brunette's jar, allowed their now heavier breaths to mingle.

"I guess all the secrets really are coming out this weekend." Regina murmured. She pressed another chaste kiss to Emma's lips and sat back on the bench, a smile curled at the corners of her mouth.

Emma chuckled. "I guess so. Most of them, anyway."

"Is there something else you want to tell me?"

The blonde took another sip of tequila. "No, I just meant that Mary-Margaret is still refusing to tell me why she changed her name." Regina stiffened, though Emma couldn't see enough to notice in the fallen darkness of night. "I know it has something to do with her dad but she wouldn't say what. Only that it wasn't her story to tell, and that she learned her lesson last time, whatever that means."

"She learned her lesson...?" Regina said quietly to herself, a frown appearing and deepening across her forehead.

Emma shrugged and looked out over the view again.

"Fuck." Regina said, jolting to her feet. "Fuck!" She shouted and set out at a jog towards the now pitch black trail.

"Wait, what?" Emma called out to her, but she didn't wait. Emma stood and fumbled the bottle, and dropped it somewhere on the ground. She left it and ran after Regina as she disappeared into the treeline. "Wait for me!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 24 chapters in and they FINALLY kiss. Hehe... adorable dorks.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: discussion of past sexual assault

Emma tried to tell herself that she wasn't waiting in Regina's room to see her, but she'd struggled to keep her attention on the boy when he told her all about his abuelo's remote control sailboat that they had taken down to the lake that afternoon, and her mind was not wandering from the comics that she was reading with him now. 

She had showered and changed into her pyjamas, and had laid on her own bed for a while after they had returned home. She had been sweaty, puffed, and a little bit muddy from the effort involved in scrabbling through the forest trail down the hill and trying to keep up with Regina's extremely fast pace. She had given up trying to get the brunette to talk to her, instead just staying as close as she could to the determined woman.

She still didn't know exactly what it was that had set Regina off, but she it had to have something to do with what she'd said about Mary-Margaret's name change, so her stomach had lurched when she saw her mother's truck still parked in the driveway. She prayed things weren't about to get ugly.

Regina had charged in the unlocked front door, briefly looked in the empty living room, the study where her mother sat reading a paper, and across the foyer toward the kitchen, Emma closed the front door and followed, stopping only when Regina slammed the basement door behind her, her footsteps heavy on the stairs as she descended below. The three of them had been down there for hours now, and Emma was dying of curiosity.

Henry looked at her over his latest Thor. "Why is my Mom mad?"

"I don't think she's mad, Hen. I think she just has some stuff she needs to talk to Zelena and Mary-Margaret about." Emma tried to sound confident, gave him a smile and his hair a ruffle.

He looked skeptical. "Mary-Margaret always makes her mad though, even when she's just being nice to Mom. She hates her."

"Hate is a big word. Sometimes people just don't see eye to eye on things. Or sometimes there's history that you don't know about. But either way it's a good thing they're talking about it now, don't you think?"

"I guess." He admitted reluctantly.

She looked over at the alarm clock on the bedside table. "It's well past your bedtime, kid. Your grandparents said five more minutes when they went to bed, and it's been twenty."

Henry heaved an exaggerated sigh and put his comic on his bedside table, and scooted down under the blankets. Emma stood up and walked around to his side, pulled up the blankets and patted them down around his shoulders. "It'll all be okay." She ruffled his hair again, then bent down and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, Henry." 

He smiled sleepily at her. "Night, Emma." She flicked the light off on her way out and pulled the door shut.

She flopped down on her own bed and stared at the ceiling until her own eyes began to droop shut. The heating was turned up so she took off her socks and her flannel pyjama top, leaving just her pants and tank-top on, switched off the light and climbed into bed.

The sound of running water in the bathroom next door stirred her awake again, and she had no idea how long she had been asleep. She listened to Regina brush her teeth. Footsteps padded softly down the hallway past her room and she heard the door open into the next guest room. With Henry asleep in there she couldn't very well go and ask the questions she was dying to ask. She yawned and realised she was overheating, kicked off the blankets and rolled over, settling in to go back to sleep.

Just as she was drifting off she heard a light tap on her door, and it opened. "Emma?" Regina whispered.

"Mmmph?" Emma grunted, rolling back to face the woman in her doorway. "Regina?" 

"Did I wake you?"

The blonde rubbed her eyes. "S'okay. Come in."

Regina entered and closed the door behind her. She blindly made her way across the room, her eyes having not adjusted yet from Henry's night-light in her own room to the darkness in Emma's, which had only a slight glow from the streetlight that made it's way past the blind. She scooted over to her left towards the window and lay flat on her back as Regina felt the bed and lay down next to her and tucked her feet under the blankets at the bottom of the bed.

"Hey." Emma finally ventured, when the silence became deafening.

"Hey." The older woman replied, her voice more husky than usual.

Emma turned her head, her eyes barely able to make out her friend's face, but the extra darkness of her eyes told her they were open and she was staring at the ceiling. "You don't have to tell me what that was all about if you don't want to, but can you just tell me if you're okay? I was... I'm worried about you."

The shiny fabric of Regina's silk pyjamas rippled and her right hand that was resting on her stomach rose as she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She chewed her bottom lip and didn't answer, but a moment later her left hand slid across the sheet and felt for Emma's, holding and then interlacing their fingers together. Emma squeezed supportively and she returned to staring at the ceiling as well.

She was quite convinced that Regina had fallen asleep by the time she spoke again, in barely more than a whisper. "That photo you saw of my debutante ball, I was eighteen. I had just graduated high school and was to head off to college at the end of the summer.

"I always rebelled from my mother, but she loathed the company I kept with Mellie, the resident bad influence, I guess you could say. Anyway Mellie and I snuck out and around the back of the town hall for a cigarette, and she had a flask of vodka tucked into the bodice of her dress. One cigarette turned into two, then three, then Mellie's boyfriend came looking for her and she went off with him to go up to the lookout alone. You can guess why.

"I was just stubbing out my cigarette when Mayor White found me. I don't know if it was the high heels or the vodka but I stumbled when I stood up. He promised he wouldn't tell my mother, and then began to praise the work ethic I displayed when I had done work experience at the council buildings. He was being so nice to me, but then he started saying how if I was a nice to him then he wouldn't end my mother's career which didn't really make sense until, well then he was just... all over me."

Emma heard the loud swallow, and squeezed her hand again. She felt Regina squeeze back. "I tried to push him away but my mind was racing about whether I should. He was the Mayor. He just kept saying don't make a sound, be a good girl, don't tell anyone.

"But then he fell to his knees, his hands let me go but his face fell in my chest and standing behind him was Mary-Margaret. She'd kicked him in groin."

In the darkness, a relieved smile crossed Emma's face, and she squeezed Regina's hand again. "She grabbed him by the collar of his hideous red blazer and shoved him to the ground. She took me away from there, dried my tears, and fixed my make up, all the while begging me to go to the police. The Sheriff at the time was this arrogant little asshole with small-man syndrome. Hardly fit to be a security guard let alone sole lawman. I couldn't sit there and tell him all the awful details... I couldn't. So I made her promise not to tell anyone.

"The next week my mother insisted that my working at the council buildings again over the summer would be beneficial to my future. She wouldn't let me out of it, but I wouldn't tell her why I didn't want to. Couldn't tell her. So I put on my best brave face and I did it.

"Mayor White would start to request me for errands even though I did my best to avoid him, and I was... I was at my lowest when Zelena phoned and she knew. She knew, and that meant that Mother knew and hadn't even talked to me. That she had left me to fend for myself with the Mayor. I couldn't comprehend why she would do that if not because she knew he would ruin her career, so I panicked and denied everything. Told myself I had overreacted after all. 

"Then I really did overreact. I found and punched Mary-Margaret in the face. She told me I had one heck of right cross, then apologised for not keeping my secret, all the while trying to justify her actions by she had my best interest at heart. She betrayed my trust, and I hated her with a passion you can't even imagine.

"The next day Mr Gold offered me a paid position as his assistant. I don't know if he knew it but he saved me, and he kept me away from the Mayor that summer. Every summer he hired me back again. He became my biggest supporter, and hired me straight out of college. When Mayor White died and he became Mayor, I was in a position to really do some good. One of the first was to replace Sheriff Jolly with Graham.

"But then Daniel died and Gold gave me time off when I needed it, and extra work when I needed it too. He seemed to understand how to get me through my grief better than anyone. Then he mentioned a baby. A new life to fill the void in my heart that I was convinced no man could ever fill. He told me knew of a woman who was looking for a family for her baby, and the idea grew on me. I was young, but he was so supportive. Flexible hours and a better healthcare plan. Mother hated the idea, of course, but Papa just smiled and told me to let my heart tell me what to do.

"Henry... is the best thing to have come out of all of that mess." Her voice choked up, and she fell silent again for a while.

"I never knew. About her relationship with Zelena. As far as I knew, they had never met. It's why I assumed Zelena had to have learned what had happened from my mother. When you said that Mary-Margaret had learned her lesson the first time, I realised. I realised they were friends, that she had called her directly." Her voice grew husky again, and drew tight with emotion. "Mother never knew. All these years... I was so angry with her for doing nothing to help me, but she never even knew."

Emma rolled onto her side and reached out to take Regina's other hand. Regina turned to face her, their bodies only inches apart, and Emma freed her hand from Regina's grasp only to slide it under her neck and pull her into a firm embrace. The older woman's body shook as she silently cried into her neck.

Eventually the sobs turned to shuddering sighs, then to normal breathing. Emma kissed her forehead and continued rubbing her hand slowly up and down the older woman's back. "We really are a pair, aren't we?"

Regina pulled back and looked at her, her eyes puffy and swollen, her cheeks wet. " _We_ are?"

Emma snickered. "Yeah. My life was fucked up in part because your mother kept a secret from my mother. Your life was fucked up in part by my mother keeping a secret from your mother. It's... bizarrely symmetrical."

The woman in her arms remained silent for another few moments, then she huffed out a breath. "It is, isn't it."

They lay there together a while longer, Emma still rubbing Regina's back, Regina's hand playing with the ends of Emma's hair. 

"How is your backside?"

Emma groaned. "Fine. It's fine."

"You landed quite heavily."

"I just lost my footing."

"Twice."

"You're the reason I was running down hill in the dark and in slushy, muddy snow."

"What, are you expecting me to kiss it better?"

"It might help."

Regina could see Emma's white teeth bared in a grin, and she scoffed. "Dream on, Miss Swan." She chuckled and snuggled a little closer, the scent of vanilla and raspberry body wash and something uniquely Emma comforted her.

Emma's hand stilled on her back. "Will Henry miss you sleeping in there with him?"

"Last I saw of Henry, he was doing his best starfish impression. He will be fine." She nuzzled into Emma's neck and kissed her throat. "Plus, he snores."


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, I realised last night that I completely skipped Halloween, and they weren't talking at the time. Dammit! When this gets a re-write I am definitely adding in a fancy dress chapter.
> 
> disclaimer: more internal monologue-y musings on past hetero relationships

The front door shutting heavily below stirred Regina from her slumber. She scrunched her face and yawned, and moved her head a little to relieve a crick in her neck where realised it was still laid across Emma's arm. She was still in Emma's arms. Emma's other arm was bridging the space between them, her hand against her ribs underneath her own arm... which was outstretched, her hand resting at curve of Emma's waist. 

A cold chill ran through her veins and her whole body tensed. She looked a the woman breathing softly right in front of her. Emma had rolled forward a little further and her face was mashed in the pillow, a small wet spot at the corner of her mouth and a dot of sleep in the corner of the eye that she could see. A few locks of blonde hair, tousled and wavy, flowed around her face, strands moving with every breath. 

She had told this woman, in the safety of darkness, things she hadn't told anyone in a long time, and with Marian she'd had a much sturdier connection established when the truth came out. They had been friends for years. But Emma? She didn't even quite know what they were, and though she had an idea of what she wanted them to be, she hadn't dared to hope. She refused to hope. 

But something had changed between them anyway, before her confession but definitely after it as well, and it all felt so sudden. So distant from the usual control she maintained over her own life and actions, it was scary. She had shown her hand, briefly, and now she would have to wait and see if Emma would use it against her.

Emma, who had done nothing but offer her assistance at every turn. She looked after Henry, cooked them dinner when they were relative strangers. She helped Henry with his soccer practice and cheered him on at his games. She had stepped in when Victor Frank had confronted her outside their building, even though they weren't even talking after Regina had so harshly judged her on her history. She had taught her and Henry how to protect themselves, and helped her to feel safer in her apartment.

She couldn't imagine Emma using anything against her, but the niggling doubt reminded her that those you allow closest to you can cut the deepest. If she let Emma in, she could hurt not only her but Henry as well. For that exact reason she had never allowed Henry to meet any of her suitors, although the only one she let into her life was the one she hadn't screened through a process of dates and ruled out before it progressed past dinner. But Henry had already known Graham, and he still didn't know that they had seen each other behind closed doors. Not many did.

She had hated sneaking around, but she hated people knowing her business and interfering in her life even more. She hated the expectation of relationships, not only of her partner but in the eyes of others. The belief that there was some sort of timeline every relationship should be on, dating, moving in together, engaged, married, children. She had wanted that once, just once, and when that opportunity was snatched from her, she felt the weight of expectation that she would feel it again after some arbitrary period of grief and she hated it. It weighed on her with every date she went on, with every doe-eyed look from Graham that she had averted her eyes from. She didn't want that.

But she didn't feel it with Emma. Emma felt dynamic. Maybe it was that she was a woman, that the rules were different somehow, she didn't really know. Nothing felt forced with her, she was uncharted territory. Nothing felt like they were running through some laundry list of steps to reach a supposed happily ever after. The feeling of being unscripted was exhilarating... and terrifying for someone as structured as she had come to be.

She attempted to flex her muscles without a full stretch, which would undoubtedly wake her bed-mate, and she wanted to delay the inevitable awkwardness. She was sure it would be, it always was with Graham, the polite conversation stilted and forced as he dressed and departed. She never offered for him to shower or stay for breakfast, never wanted to. The mornings were always the worst. Although she and Emma hadn't even come close to having sex, what had happened the night before felt just as intimate, if not more so.

She rolled her shoulder and splayed her hand, her thumb and palm still atop Emma's tank-top, but her fingers brushed against the warm skin of her hip in the small gap between her top and the waistband of her flannel pants. 

She closed her eyes again, her fingers swirling lightly in small circles against soft skin, then tracing small lines, uneven against the surrounding flesh. Scars, she realised. She felt the blonde stir and she opened her eyes. Green eyes looked back at her, a frown across the young woman's forehead and pink lines from the pillow across her cheek. Her down-turned mouth curled upwards. She licked her dry lips, ran her tongue around her mouth then swallowed.

"Hey." She said, her morning breath still apparent but somewhat diminished.

Regina found herself smiling back. "Hey yourself." Her fingers resumed their faint movements against Emma's skin.

The blonde's smile flickered and something deeper, a sadness touched her face. A thump from the next room distracted them both, Regina's fingers stopping their movements. They listened as a door in the hallways opened and light footsteps ran past their room to the bathroom.

"Your son is up."

Regina sighed. "I should be too." She didn't move though, neither of them did. The expected awkwardness wasn't there, although the tension was indeed high, it felt electric instead of uncomfortable.

The footsteps came running back down the hallway and the women pushed apart hastily as the door flew open.

"Hey Em-- Mom! You're in here!" The boy exclaimed, his hair sticking out in all directions giving him a frenzied look.

She lifted herself up onto her elbows. "Yes, dear. When I went to bed you were spread out right across it and I didn't want to disturb you."

He looked between his dishevelled mother and Emma, blearily rubbing her eyes, and giggled. He jumped up on the bed and threw himself between them.

Emma flinched. "Ow, jeez kid! Mind the bladder please." She pressed her fingers into his stomach and wriggled them. "You're all bony corners and elbows!" He clutched at her arm trying to stop her poking, and Emma looked up at Regina. "Maybe you need to wrap him up in cotton wool. Not for his safety, but for mine."

The brunette chuckled and laid back down next to them, first joining Emma in tormenting Henry and then helping Henry to return the attack on Emma.

"Well now, isn't this domestic." Both women's eyes flew up to the doorway where a smirking Marian leaned against the doorframe, one eyebrow raised high. Something other than embarrassment crossed Regina's face. "Did you forget that you invited me to breakfast?"

Regina patted Henry on the thigh. "Go on downstairs and help with breakfast." He clambered off the bed and trotted out of the room, Marian ruffling his hair as he passed.

"It's about time." She said to the pair climbing out of bed before turning and following her not-godson downstairs.

Emma rummaged through her duffel bag for a clean pair of jeans. 

"It's okay, we can wear pyjamas to breakfast." Regina said, tossing Emma her flannel shirt to put on. "Under the circumstances, it's probably better if we go down as soon as possible."

Green eyes sparkled and a crooked grin burst across the younger woman's face and she wiggled her eyebrows. Regina's face flushed pink, she sighed and she shook her head dismissively. "Downstairs." Emma's grin widened. Regina rolled her eyes but couldn't hold back a smile. "Idiot." 

She slid on her robe and tied it around her waist as they descended the steps, Emma fumbling with the final button as they entered the kitchen. Four sets of eyes looked up at them and the room fell silent. Marian was still smirking, her mouth pinched and nostrils slightly flared as she attempted to contain her jubilation.

Cora looked up as she removed a tray of freshly baked bagels from the oven, her lips pursed and a knowing sparkle in her eye. "Good morning, dears. I'm glad you finally decided to join us."

Sitting at the breakfast bar, slicing and arranging tomatoes and shaved ham on a large plate in front of her, Zelena watched them, her mouth open and tongue in her cheek. "Well, well." She said quietly, and elbowed her friend playfully. "I believe you may owe me a fiver."

Mary-Margaret's hands stilled, holding the cream cheese container that she had been transferring into a serving dish. The deep emerald green of her borrowed satin pyjamas, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, contrasted against her milky white skin. Her cheeks were smudged with pink, her mouth open slightly, eyes wide. She didn't respond to Zelena's nudge, but moved her gaze from Regina's challenging glare to Emma's expression, tight with nervousness.

"I didn't know you were still here, Mar." Emma stammered. 

Her mother smiled softly at her but it was Zelena who replied. "Mary-Margs and I had a few too many beverages so she stayed the night. Though I'm not sure our sleepover was as much fun as yours was." Emma's face flushed and her throat tightened. 

The door out onto the back patio flew open and Henry clomped inside, dwarfed inside a deep brown, fleecy robe that reached almost to the floor, where oversized slippers peeked out from underneath. A little boy ran in behind him, a soccer ball held firmly in his small hands. A check collar peeked out around his neck from his quilted copper coloured jacket. A knitted brown beanie was pulled low over his face, his ears and eyebrows hidden from view.

Dimples appeared in his cheeks and a wide smile exposed his row of perfect tiny teeth. "Wegina!" He yelled. He dropped the ball and ran across the kitchen to her where she waited to pick him up for a hug. "Who are you?" He asked Emma over Regina's shoulder.

He sat back in Regina's arms, his legs around her waist. "Raf, this is my friend Emma."

"Special friend." Zelena breathed at Marian, both of their eyes dancing with mirth.

"Hi Raf." Emma was drawn in by the adorable boy, who with his dark eyes and olive skin a few shades lighter than his mother, and their obvious affection, could have easily been mistaken for Regina's. She smiled, and imagined Henry at this age and the way Regina would have doted on him.

The door opened again and Henry Sr entered carrying a tray of bacon and sausages cooked on the grill. As the rush began to ready and set out the rest of the breakfast elements, Emma excused herself to use the bathroom. She passed by the study and without thinking, ducked inside. She had thought she was ready to face the music after splashing water on her face, but evidently she was not.

"Are you okay?" She whirled around to see her mother step cautiously into the room.

She forced a smile. "Yeah, I just hadn't seen in here. This room is awesome."

Mary-Margaret smiled, then turned and closed the door and walked up to Emma. She placed a hand on her upper arm and squeezed gently. "Are you sure? You seem a little upset."

Emma shook her head, but couldn't hold the fake smile any longer. "I'm just..." She started, then stopped and closed off again. "I'm okay."

"Is it about Regina?" She asked, and watched the conflict play across her daughter's face.

She sighed and looked at the floor, then across at the wallpaper. "I just... I didn't want..." She breathed deeply and started again. "When I was young, I bounced around foster homes a lot. Every time I would wonder what I did wrong, what was wrong with me. It may have been a long time since then but I... I didn't know how you would react." She laughed nervously. "I should be too old for this."

Mary-Margaret pulled her girl into her arms. "Oh, honey. That's what this is about? I know I haven't known you long, but I can see the big, beautiful heart you have in there. There is nothing wrong with you, you are completely lovable. You two obviously care about each other and seem happy together, what more could I want for you? This may be a small town, but we're progressive." She continued to hold her tightly until she felt wetness against her cheek, and Emma relaxed and hugged her back before pulling away.

Her mother held her face, reminiscent of their first meeting, and brushed her thumbs underneath Emma's eyes to dry her cheeks. "Thank you." She swallowed. 

"There's no need-" 

"I mean for Regina. For looking out for her." 

Mary-Margaret smiled and waved her hand dismissively. "You would have done the same."

The blonde gave her a droll smile. "I'm a little more blunt-force than you are, though booting your dad in the balls? I'm impressed."

Her mother took her hand. "Come on, we should get out there before they eat all the good stuff."


	27. Chapter 27

"You have to tell her." Marian said firmly, gripping the handle of her cup of coffee as it hovered near her mouth.

"What good would it achieve now, after all these years?" Regina countered. 

The two women and Emma were bundled up on the chairs on the back porch watching Henry and Raf climb the apple tree at the end of the yard pretending it was a castle tower.

Marian slapped her friend's arm with the back of her hand. "You goose!" She looked over at Emma. "No offence to anyone of the avian persuasion."

"Wha-"

"You have to! This changes everything about the way you two have related to each other for, like, half your life!"

Regina scowled, her eyes scrunched up against the glare from the light coating of snow over the yard. "You know she's just going to say I was foolish for not telling her, and then probably feel bad for pushing me to work for him. Hasn't this all made enough people feel bad?"

Marian groaned. "You don't need to protect her, Reggie. It's the secrets that hurt. They're what eat you up inside. You just have to tear off the band-aid, give the festering wound some fresh air and let it heal. Isn't that right, Emma?"

Two pairs of dark eyes landed on her face, and she did the only thing she knew was expected of her and nodded her head in agreement. They all went quiet, Regina taking time to think and Marian allowing her to. Emma warmed her hands on her cocoa and watched the boys play. 

A minute later Regina broke the silence. "Did you just refer to me as a festering wound?"

With a chuckle, Marian reached out and squeezed her friend's shoulder. "Never. You're much more Morticia than Uncle Fester. Now, I know you. You're going to stew over this and build it all up in your head until you end up with another stomach ulcer. What you're going to do, is you're going to go inside and find your mother, sit her down and talk with her."

"Now? I'm not talking to her now!" Regina declared, her body tensed.

Marian stared at her, a showdown they had obviously been through before. "Babe, I love you, but you can be a stubborn ass. You know I'm right. Please, for the love of god just get it over with so you don't have to carry it around in that heavy heart of yours." Eventually Regina relented and stood up, balling up and throwing the small blanket she had draped over her lap onto her chair. Marian smiled as she stomped inside. "Good luck."

The door slammed shut and Marian smiled at Emma, part satisfaction, but also a little predatory. "So, Emma."

The blonde raised her eyebrows. "Marian."

"Regina has been my best friend for ten years." She glanced out to where the boys were playing, then looked at Emma again. "She's an amazing woman and I would walk through the fires of hell for her. Unfortunately she's already familiar with that destination, so I have to say this, and I'll only say this once. If you break her heart, I will break your face."

A tense moment passed as Marian stared in all seriousness at the younger woman. 

"Yeah. I... uhh... I plan to never do that." Emma offered. 

The brunette narrowed her eyes and continued to stare for a moment before relaxing back into her chair. "Yeah, make sure you don't. You seem an alright type, but still... I've got my eye on you."

"Look out, Regina might get jealous." She nervously teased, and took a sip of her rapidly cooling drink. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a small grin soften Marian's face. "But you know, she's more of a Wednesday."

"I know, right?!" Marian exclaimed. "She totally is. I only said Morticia because that's came as to my Halloween party last year."

Emma laughed. "That I would like to have seen."

Marian wriggled around and pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I have photos."

XxxxxxxxX

Cora sat down on small, mahogony framed sofa in the study. "What is it you would like to talk to me about, dear?" She asked.

Regina twisted the lock on the door and walked over to the opposite sofa and tugged the fabric of her slim-fit black jeans up over her knees before she sat down. "Mother, something has come up this weekend that I previously thought you aware of, but now have reason to believe you did not." She knew she was avoiding eye contact but look at the woman across from her just yet. "It is about why I initially did not want to pursue politics when I left high school. Why I didn't want to work at the council offices."

"Oh, dear. I know you thought I was just trying to force you to follow my footsteps, but I simply wanted to encourage you along a path that would allow you to do what you were always so good at doing. Helping people. Helping them one on one as Mary-Margaret does, while commendable, does not influence the power structure that causes them to be vulnerable. They also need strong, intelligent people in high places fighting for them and their rights. People like you, Regina."

The younger woman felt her temper flare, her mother once again presuming to know what she wanted to talk about, once again trying to make it sound as though it were all for her. "That isn't what I meant, Mother." She couldn't hold it back. "And don't try to make it seem like you have only ever pushed me for my benefit. Please."

"But Regina, that is the reason why I have pushed you."

"Pushed me to do what I could do for you. This was never about my happiness."

"Darling, from when you were young you were always offering assistance to anyone who needed it. It was always in your nature. It made you happy to help others."

"Being with Daniel also made me happy and you tried to force us apart!" Regina stood up and walked toward the fireplace, where she rested a hand on the mantlepiece and stared at the painting on the wall of a knight riding a white horse. It had been her favourite painting as a child, the hours she had spent playing with her toys, drawing, and later doing her homework in this room while her mother worked. She had spent hours looking at it, and she credited it as the reason she had insisted upon learning to ride horses. She still loved it, despite all the bittersweet memories it now invoked.

"I was afraid you were losing yourself. You were so obsessed with that boy that you wanted to drop out of college, marry that him, start having babies and live happily ever after. Everything you had always wanted slipped away when you were around him, and you became Regina, Daniel's girlfriend. I wanted more for you."

Regina swung around to face her mother. "You wanted more, Mother! You just admitted it. _You_ wanted more, not me!"

The Mayor stood up to face her daughter, eye to eye. "I wanted you to stay true to yourself and remember what you really wanted – to help people. To improve the lives of people less fortunate. You were so in love you were blind to see what you would have been throwing away. Relationships aren't always forever, I just wanted you to live up to your potential. To live the life you truly wanted, a life that was worthy of you."

"Worthy of me?" She scoffed. "Being a wife and mother isn't worthy?"

"Of course it is. But not at the expense of your own identity." Cora reached out and smoothed Regina's hair, tucking it gently behind her ear. "Look at you. At the positive changes you helped to bring about in our town, and now you're doing the same on a larger scale."

Regina swallowed thickly, a desire to refute the claim stuck in her throat. "And all the while I was a mother." She glowered. "I could have had that with Daniel as well, if you just left us alone. We wouldn't have had to sneak off into the woods to get away from your meddling, and he wouldn't have died."

"My meddling... are you telling me that you think I am the reason Daniel died? That you two rode all the way out into the forest to get away from me?"

The notion sounded much more ridiculous when spoken aloud, though the deeply rooted feelings that had been uncorked were bubbling over and Regina's whole body shook with rage. "Yes! If you hadn't tried to keep us apart, he would still be alive."

The two women faced each other, both breathing heavily. Cora wore a shocked expression, her hand touched lightly to her chest, her mouth open slightly and moving occasionally but no words came out. Regina's eyes were dark and angry, her lip curled slightly in a snarl, her fists clenched at her sides. She blinked once, then blinked again and flexed her hands before re-balling them into fists, although loose enough to not be white-knuckled this time.

"Darling-"

"Don't. Just don't." Regina said, firmly but quietly. She knew it was unfair to blame her mother so directly for Daniel's death, but given the conversation she had planned to have was not this one, she hadn't expected and wasn't prepared for the memories and repressed feelings simmering below the surface to have emerged. She turned on her heel and left her mother standing in her study, her hands wrapped across her own waist in an attempt to assuage the ache of her broken relationship with her daughter.

XxxxxxxxxX 

Emma had a fair idea of where Regina may have disappeared to when she had stormed out of the house earlier, and although Marian had recommended letting her come back when she was ready, Henry had managed to convince her by mid-afternoon that they needed to go and find her.

He knew the path up to the lookout and had challenged her to a race. Although she could run for miles on the flat, the steep incline took the wind out of her and she slowed, allowing Henry to overtake her near the top. They emerged from the tree-line out of breath and red-faced, Henry grinning widely at his mother who looked across at them from the bench seat when she heard their laughter.

"Mom!" He cried and ran over to her, throwing his arms around her neck. She hugged him back and looked sadly at Emma walking up from behind him.

"My little prince." She murmured into his hair as she kissed it.

Emma shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and rocked back on her heels. "Are you okay?"

Regina blinked and nodded. Henry pulled back to look at her face. "Yes." She replied to Emma's question while looking at her son. "I am now."

"Can we go home now?" Henry asked. 

Emma saw the reluctance in Regina's face. "I'm meeting David and Mary-Margaret at the Millhouse Cafe for dinner, why don't you two come along too? Kathryn and Peter will be there too." She said mostly for Henry's benefit. "And you can give me the walking tour of Main Street first if you like."

"Yeah! Can we, Mom? I haven't had Tiana's pork chops in forever!"

"What's wrong with my pork chops?" She asked teasingly.

Henry rolled his eyes in a way that made him look just like his mother. "Nothing, they're just not the same." He watched her eyebrow rise. "They're good too, but Tiana's are..."

"Kid, I think you'd better quit digging that hole before you end up in China." Emma suggested with a hand on his shoulder.

He heaved a sigh. "So, can we go?"

Regina grinned and stroked his smooth cheek. "Alright."

"Yay!" He jumped up and started jogging back to the trail. "We should show Emma the new castle on our way!"

"The new castle?"

Regina stood and stretched. "The replacement playground I designed and had built a few years ago. It's one of his favourite places." She began to follow her son but paused when she noticed Emma looking around the bench. "What?"

"I dropped that bottle of tequila last night, I can't see it anywhere though." She shrugged and caught up to the older woman. "Are you sure you're okay?" 

Their hands brushed together and Regina reached out with her index and middle finger, Emma responded by gently curling her own fingers into the most casual of hand-holding. She didn't reply, but Emma noted the way the muscles around her mouth had softened and the slightest of smiles rested on her lips. She squeezed her fingers and they followed Henry back down the hill.

They were still at the castle, Emma and Henry sword-fighting with sticks they had found, when Emma's phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID before answering.

"Hey, Mar."

 _"Emma,"_ Her mother said softly. _"I'm afraid I won't be able to make it to dinner tonight."_ A pained scream echoed down the line and drowned out what she said next.

"What the hell? Mar, are you okay? Where are you?" Emma dropped her stick and walked away from Henry, although both he and his mother had heard the deafening screech even from a distance and followed her.

_"I'm at the hospital."_

The blonde froze. "What happened?"

_"Oh no, honey. I'm fine. Ashley is having the baby now."_

She felt her shoulders drop as the tension eased and she threw her head back to stare at the sky. "Jesus Christ, you scared the hell out of me." She heard Regina tut and turned to mouth an apology to the pair behind her.

_"Sorry, sweetie. She's been here since this morning and she's advancing well, so it could come any time. She needs me here."_

"It's okay. Did you talk to her about Gold?"

There was a muffled noise and silence for a moment. _"Not yet."_ Mary-Margaret said in a hushed tone. _"She was already in labour when I saw her this morning, I didn't want to add the extra stress and spike her blood pressure or anything that could harm the baby."_

"You should tell her as soon as it's born though. If he's been trying to get his hands on that baby, he might have tried to influence her decision. She'll want to bond with it straight away if she keeps it."

_"I will."_

Emma cleared her throat. "You've been there since this morning? Have you eaten?"

_"I had a chocolate bar from the vending machine, but Ashley doesn't want me to leave her so I haven't been down to the cafeteria."_

"Do you want us to get you something from the cafe? We could bring it to you. You might be in for a long night."

_"Actually that would be lovely, if you don't mind? I have been craving Tiana's baked chicken and dirty rice all afternoon."_

She phoned David on their walk towards town, and since they were close by he offered to pick up take-out for all of them and meet them at the hospital to picnic in the recently renovated courtyard. 

When they arrived, Peter was sitting at a large table by himself, surrounded by food containers. A plate heaped with food sat in front of him. "Figured I should eat it before it got cold." He said, still chewing.

Regina nudged Emma with her elbow. "I think I know which side of your family the appetite and table manners came from."

Henry kneeled on the bench seat and rummaged around for his pork chop.

Peter swallowed and thumbed towards the hospital. "Dad took Mary-Margaret her food a while back but he was taking so long Mom went to find him. But that was a while ago too."

Emma glanced at Regina, who held her concerned gaze for a moment. "Henry, you stay here with Peter, alright? Emma and I will go and see what's keeping them."

The elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the corridor, the air heavy with disinfectant and the mewling kitten sound of a tiny baby. Emma followed the noise into a large ward room with four beds but only one occupied. In it lay an exhausted looking Ashley, her damp hair clinging to her face, and a tiny baby in her arms. 

Sitting in the chair to her right was a young blond man, his hand outstretched, his finger pressed into the palm of the bub. By the stunned and adoring look on his face, he had to be the father. To Ashley's left was a blonde woman, her hand rested on Ashley's shoulder, and when she looked up Emma saw that it was Kathryn.

At the end of the bed stood Mary-Margaret and David, their shoulders squared, arms crossed as they faced a short man leaning on a cane. Emma could tell from the cut of his suit and the shine of his shoes that he didn't work at the hospital, and her instincts screamed at her that he was bad news.

The sound of the low heel of Regina's boots on the linoleum floor drew attention to the two women who had just entered the room. Emma flashed a quick smile and tipped her head at the new mother, her face awash with love, and there was no need to ask whether she intended to keep the child.

The man in the suit turned, his cane clacked as he shifted his weight using it. "Regina, how lovely to see you." He said in a strong Scottish accent.

"Gold." She said flatly.

Emma's skin bristled. "You're Gold? You're not taking that baby." She growled and strode forward, overwhelmed by the sudden flash of hatred for this man who had done so much harm to her for his own benefit.

David darted forward to intercept her, his strong hand pressed against her shoulder stopping her before she reached him. "Emma." He said softly, his tone warning her to not do anything she would regret. She huffed a breath out her nose in response. "He's not getting the baby." He assured her.

Gold smiled and his free hand joined the other rested atop the handle of his cane as it stood in front of him. "You must be Emma Swan." His light brown hair was long enough to cover his ears and sit on the collar of his tailored shirt. His nose was pointed and his eyes were keenly intelligent. His thin lips pressed into a smile. "Welcome home."

"Home?" Her voice was loud and angry, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Ashley hold her baby a little closer to her. "What right do you have to say that. You made sure this would never be my home."

"On the contrary, Miss Swan." He said smugly.

She scoffed at him and threw him a burning glare. "Bullshit. You screwed everything up for me right from the start. You sold me to criminals, you left me in the foster system, and what, you think now by leaving a breadcrumb trail of documents that you've somehow redeemed yourself?"

He pursed his lips and his eyes narrowed. "The family you were supposed to be adopted by were good people, and that went sour because of your grandfathers, not because of me. They abandoned you to the system, whereas I followed you in secret and did what I could to help."

"Help?" Emma laughed. David squeezed her shoulder and she pushed his hand away. "You helped me? I would fucking love to know how because I don't ever recall getting any help from anyone!" 

An evil little smile twitched at his mouth and his dark eyes shone. "Among other things, I think you'll agree that I ensured your son was raised in a loving home, don't you?" 

Emma's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. His eyes flicked from Emma to the gap between herself and David. She whipped her head around and her eyes met Regina's, whose face was pale, her mouth agape and her hand pressed firmly to her stomach. "Henry." She whispered.

David reached again for Emma's shoulder only to be shrugged off again. Mary-Margaret stepped forward, past the short man grinning madly. "Emma? What is he talking about?"

Emma turned back to face him, the fast movement causing the room to spin momentarily. "You..." She trailed off.

A mad little giggle escaped Gold's throat. "Brought your baby boy back to your hometown? I did."

The blonde reeled and looked away from absurdly proud little man, away from the shocked and confused expressions of her parents, David now reaching for Mary-Margaret's shoulder to offer support or possibly to receive it. Three sets of eyes watched her from the bed, and Regina. She couldn't even look at Regina. It wasn't meant to be like this. She wasn't meant to find out this way. It wasn't meant to be Henry. Emma stepped backwards, and again, then turned and ran from the room.


	28. Chapter 28

Regina watched as Emma ran past her and out of the room, and as much as she wanted to give chase, she also wanted to throttle her former boss. She turned back to him and instead caught Mary-Margaret's eye as the woman moved towards her to follow her daughter. David looked hesitant, he leaned toward the door wanting to follow Mary-Margaret and Emma, but also thought he may be required to serve as referee or bouncer of some sort given the fury in Regina's eyes.

"You planned all of this." She advanced on Gold. "You began to manipulate me as soon as you found out she was pregnant." Anyone who knew Regina knew that her low, cold voice was much more menacing than anyone's shouting, although Gold didn't seem to lose any of his barely contained glee.

"Manipulated? Dearie, I took you under my wing when you were barely more than a girl, I trained you to be my right-hand woman and in the process I came to know you. When you were suffering from a great darkness in your heart, I merely gave you a child to fill it with light." He cocked his head slightly as he looked at her. "Which he has done, has he not?"

Her top lip curled in a snarl. "Don't you dare tell me this was for my benefit. You gave me a child to care for until it was time for you to bring his _real_ mother back into the picture. You gave me the one thing I wanted with the intention of taking it all away from me."

David cleared his throat. "Regina, I don't think-"

"Shut up, David." She hissed without looking at him. She stared her former mentor in the eye since while in her heels they were the same height. "You," her eyes narrowed, "planned all of this."

The man's eyes twinkled. "No, dearie. I merely played the cards I was dealt, and played them remarkably well if I do say so myself." He sidestepped around the furious woman whose arm was gripped by David to prevent her following, and his cane tapped across the floor as he slowly walked out and down the hall. David let her go once he had left the room, and Regina began to pace, running her fingers through her hair, then stalked out of the room.

David sighed and looked at the stunned new parents before he turned to his wife. "We should go back to Peter." Kathryn nodded and stroked the baby's head one last time, and they said their goodbyes. 

As they approached the elevators they spotted Regina down the hall, her hand pressed against the glass as she looked into the nursery. David looked at his wife. "Go." She said, and he smiled and brushed his hand over her arm, giving it a light squeeze.

"Regina." He said softly as he approached. Her body was still tense, but her back was not so straight, her chin angled a little lower. "You're his mom. You'll always be his mom."

She turned to him with pained eyes, hiding behind anger. "You don't know that. You didn't see him when he found out he was adopted. He _hated_ me, and he _loves_ Emma. He'd choose her."

"It won't come to that, but this isn't about him choosing between you anyway, Regina. I don't know what you went through with him before, but even you used the past tense in regards to his negative feelings. I can tell you with utmost certainty that he loves you enormously, and deep down you know that. You just have to trust it. Trust him." He waited, and looked in the nursery at the empty cots. "Plus, you and Emma..." He trailed off, unsure of his wording. "Perhaps..."

"Don't, David. This changes everything." She stepped away from the window and placed her hands on her hips. 

"Does it have to?" He asked. She stepped around him, not really to walk away but just to satisfy the need to move from where she was. 

He knew to wait, so he just walked quietly with her back towards the elevator. In the privacy of the car once the doors closed, she allowed him to drape his long arm around her shoulder and squeeze her gently to him, and she knew that when Emma inherited his voracious appetite, she also inherited his big, dumb heart as well.

XxxxxxxxxX

Emma gritted her teeth against the pain in her heel where a blister had formed and probably burst from running in her boots. The moisture inside her jacket from her sweat had turned cool, and she wished she had her beanie and gloves with her. Still, she had experienced worse, and she exhaled a long breath and kept walking. 

She cursed the quiet town's lack of through-traffic, and the two people who had driven straight past her. The sun had almost set now and she was still a fair way from the highway. An engine in the distance perked her hopes again, and she turned to face behind her while continuing to walk backwards, her thumb stuck out and a friendly smile on her face. The headlights blinded her as the vehicle approached her, and she sighed with relief as it flicked on it's indicator and pulled over.

Using her hand as a shield against the lights in her face, she squinted as the vehicle as she approached. She groaned and rolled her eyes when she realised who it was, and the driver's door creaked open, the man climbing out.

"I suppose Regina sent you out to stop me." She said, still shielding her eyes.

He approached and stood to her side so the headlights illuminated both of them and she could see him properly. "She just asked me to keep an eye out for you."

"Right. Still whipped by the ex." 

Graham sighed. "She said you were upset. Your family are worried."

She scoffed. "They shouldn't be. I can take care of myself. Always have." She kicked up gravel with her boot as she turned to continue up the road.

"Emma, wait." He reached out and grabbed her by the arm. "Hitchhiking is dangerous. I can't let you go."

The blonde glared at him and she shook herself free of his grasp. "You can't stop me."

"I'm the Sheriff." He challenged. "Title 29-A 2110 states that a person commits a traffic infraction if that person hitchhikes on any portion of a public way during the nighttime."

"Fuck off, Graham." She continued walking.

He loped after and past her, then turned so he stood in front of her. "I don't know what happened back there, but you have people who care about you now, Emma. I know that's probably going to take time for you to get used to, but please don't run from them. Even if you can't let them in yet, just don't run."

She stepped forward until she was up close enough to smell his cologne. She stabbed her finger firmly into his chest. "Don't tell me what to do. Don't presume to know me or what's best for me. You don't know me."

He put his hand out and caught her as she turned away from him. "Well, now you have to come with me, you just assaulted a police officer." He slapped the handcuffs onto her, and she struggled and growled obscenities at him as he marched her back to the cruiser. They drove back to town with only the sound of the engine and a country music station at low volume. 

He didn't book her when they arrived at the station, he just released her from the manacles and locked her into one of the two cells. She sat on the cot and hugged her knees to her chest. Graham tucked the cuffs back into the holder on his belt and eyed her as he left the room.

A short time later he returned with two take-away cups, and he held one out to her through the bars. She glared at him and he sighed. "Come on, take it. It's cocoa with cinnamon." She already knew it was, she could smell it as soon as he'd held it out to her and her mouth had watered.

Grudgingly she untangled herself and reached for the cup, her cold fingers wrapped around it as she took a sip. "How did you know?"

He smiled and rubbed the scruff on his chin. "I have my sources." He leaned against the desk nearest to her cell, his legs stuck out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He sipped his own drink and looked at her with a mixture of compassion and amusement. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"No, I want you to let me out." She grumbled.

He sighed. "Not yet." He uncrossed his ankles and pushed himself upright, then retreated to his office where he sat and began doing paperwork. 

Emma finished her cocoa and lay down on the cot. She was cold, but refused to wrap the scratchy blanket around herself, concerned it wouldn't have been washed after being wrapped around the last however-many delinquents who had found themselves in that cell prior to tonight.

She stared at the ceiling, her fingers interlocked across her stomach. The same stomach that had nurtured Henry for his first nine months. The memories she actively tried to not think about most of the time needled at her consciousness. She thought about the way she used to crave apple juice, and how he would kick like crazy whenever she drank it. She thought about the first time she heard his heartbeat, and how it had suddenly felt so much more real. She thought about the grocery store owner who had dropped the charges and helped her out once they realised back at the station that she'd stolen pregnancy vitamins as well as the box of poptarts. She thought about the guy whose face she could barely remember and name she would never forget, who had picked her up somewhere outside of Chicago, and had bought beer and parked up under the stars in a cornfield in Iowa. 

Her thoughts drifted to the cheerful boy who had invited himself into her life. To the kid who helped her carry her belongings, and cheekily locked her out of her own apartment. To Regina holding his hands, brightly stained with food colouring, and his thoughtful allocation of cupcakes on her birthday. To Regina running a background check on her to ensure he would be safe in her company. The way he flung himself into his mother's arms when he won the most improved player trophy at the soccer finals. She thought about the family he had that were highly involved his life and who so obviously adored him; his grandparents, Zelena, Marian. Regina.

Footsteps in the corridor roused her from her musings and she sat up. Graham looked up from his paperwork and smiled at the visitor before placing his pen down and standing up. Regina appeared in her line of sight, and she smiled briefly at Graham as he passed her, leaving the two women alone.

Regina walked over to the cells and pulled up a chair in front of Emma's. She sat down and crossed her legs, and waited.

Emma eventually spoke. "This is another bullshit charge."

"He's not charging you, dear. This won't even show up on one of my background checks."

The blonde frowned. "Now that you mention it, wasn't the adoption on my records?"

Regina cocked her head. "Actually, no, it wasn't."

"That would have been a shitty way to find out too, though." Regina hummed in agreement. "I wanted to tell you."

"Why didn't you, dear?"

"You felt my stretch marks, and I just... froze. I didn't know how you would look at me if you knew I had given away the one thing that meant the most to you. A child. Not that I knew it was Henry, that... that was a real curve ball for everyone."

"You were seventeen." Regina said softly. "You were on your own." Emma crossed her legs underneath her and looked at the floor. "Obviously I am grateful that you didn't, but may I ask your reasons for not opting for an abortion?"

Emma swallowed thickly, her eyes fixed on the crack in the concrete in front of her. "I wanted him. When I first realised, I thought that finally I would have someone who loved me, who wouldn't leave me. That was all I thought about. But three months along I was lying on a bed in a free clinic and I heard his heartbeat for the first time, and... he became real to me. Not some baby doll, not a pet. I looked at my life, living in a shelter, scraping together what I could from whatever jobs I could pick up and stealing the rest and I realised I couldn't give him..." She inhaled and covered her mouth with the backs of her finger, and her eyes squeezed shut. "I knew then that I had to give him his best chance, and it wasn't with me."

Emma blinked away the moisture in her eyes and finally looked up at Regina only to see her wiping underneath hers. "Thank you." She rasped.

"It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but knowing that he got you... Thank you, Regina." Brown eyes spilled over again and were quickly wiped away.

"We have to tell him." She said softly.

Emma's face fell at the thought. "I'm not ready for that at all."

Regina looked at her curiously. "He will find out eventually. Plus, someone once told me that it takes a while to get over someone lying to you even if it's only by omission."

Despite the seriousness, Emma licked her lips and tried a joke. "Someone wise, huh?" She stood up and clasped her hands through the bars, her elbows resting on the crossbar.

Regina gave her a small smile. "I never said they were wise. That same person made blanket statements that 'chicks dig scars' and 'cops are hot.'"

A finger pointed at her and Emma gasped. "You and Graham! You _do_ think cops are hot!"

Regina scoffed. "Oh please. His uniform and job had nothing to do with it." 

"Sure sure. So can you please convince your ex to let me out of here now?"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Don't call him my ex. We weren't... anything really. And if Henry hears you say that it'll be the last thing you ever say." 

Emma shrugged. "Fine, I'll call him Princess Buttercup you want me to so long as he lets me out like, five minutes ago. I'd really like to use a bathroom and I'd prefer it to have a little more privacy than that one." She gestured to the exposed lavatory behind her.

XxxxxxxxxX

Regina turned the key off of her mother's Audi in the darkened driveway and unclipped her seatbelt. She waited for Emma to make a move before she would open the driver's door but the younger woman was distractedly looking out the side window at the tall hedge alongside them. "I don't think I can do this."

The brunette swivelled as much as she could in her seat. "I understand this is difficult for you, but don't take it out on Henry. He hasn't done anything wrong. He'll be hurt if you avoid him."

Emma frowned. "I know that. I'm not... avoiding him. I just... Regina, I've never had a family, not really. But for the last few days I've been surrounded by all these people and it's overwhelming. And now I find out that this kid that I've come to really care about is my kid..."

"He's _my_ son." Regina stated firmly.

"He's my son too, Regina." 

"And yet you were just hours ago running away from him _on foot, at night, in a Maine November._ "

Emma let out a frustrated growl. "I wasn't running from him. It was from all of you, judging me for being a stupid kid getting knocked up and giving my kid away!"

"Where the hell did you get that idea? Has any one of us ever given any indication that we were anything but supportive of your mother's decision to carry you to term and adopt you out for your best chance?"

"I think her father had a hand in making that happen. She had all this money and people to help her but it's easy to not blame her when the Mayor made her do it, right?"

Regina looked at her intently. "You do blame her, don't you." Emma sat quietly, her hands shaking slightly in the low light from the street lamp behind them. "Maybe you should talk to her. If you want to pack your things I can take you to her apartment tonight, and I'm sure your father will drive you back to Boston tomorrow. A long drive in an enclosed space might not be the best idea while tensions are running high."

The blonde looked across at the side profile of Regina as she stared straight ahead at the garage door. She pulled the door handle and the latch clicked. "Fine." She pushed it open and stepped out into the cold night.


	29. Chapter 29

"Cocoa?" Mary-Margaret asked as she closed the door.

Emma dumped her duffel bag on the floor, tugged off her jacket, and threw it over the top of it. "No I don't want cocoa." She said gruffly. She spotted the bottle of MacCutcheon scotch whisky on the shelf and put it on the counter with two glasses. She poured a couple of fingers into her own glass then tilted the bottle toward her mother, who nodded in reply. She poured the same amount into Mary-Margaret's tumbler and screwed the cap back on the bottle. She leaned back against the counter, crossed her other arm over her stomach, and took a sip.

"I tried to catch up to you this afternoon." Mary-Margaret stared into her glass and chanced a quick look up at Emma. "You're very fit."

"I run." She replied, matter of factly, then laughed. "It's what I do best, I guess."

Mary-Margaret sipped the strong alcohol. "You came back."

Emma scoffed. "Only because Graham arrested me out near the town line."

"He what?!" A small amount of liquor spilled as she slammed the glass down on the counter. "If he thinks he can just run around arresting my daughter, he's got another thing coming!"

The blonde held up a hand. "Technically I _was_ kind of breaking the law, which is a stupid law, but anyway he only took me in because Regina told him to."

"Regina did?" Mary-Margaret frowned.

"One minute you're telling me she cares about me, the next you seem surprised she'd stop me hitch-hiking back to Boston at night." Emma teased. "Make up your mind, Mar."

She shook her head softly. "No, it's just she seemed so upset after... well, David said she was sure that Henry liked you more than her and he'd end up choosing to live with you-"

"Whoa, what?!" Emma's fingertips went white as she clutched the glass a little tighter. "I'm not sure I even want him to know, let alone actually be his..." The familial term stuck in her throat, weighted with such expectation and meaning, especially for someone who never had one herself. "I mean, I know him and love him, and this doesn't really change the fact that I care about his welfare and want to continue to be in his life."

Mary-Margaret licked her lips, deep in thought. "Did Regina tell you about how he found out that he was adopted?"

"Yeah, he found the records and was really upset with her for not telling him." Emma had an inkling where this was going, and prepared herself with another large sip.

"He struggled with feeling betrayed by it being hidden from him by his family, especially Regina. But even now, like any adopted child, he wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face: why would anyone give me away?" Emma gulped the rest of her drink and unscrewed the bottle for a re-fill. Mary-Margaret sighed and squeezed Emma's arm. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean in any way to judge you, and I know you have surely always wondered the same thing yourself. But I think if he heard your side of the story, it could help him."

"What, like it helped me?" She grumbled. Mary-Margaret looked perplexed. "It didn't help me, Mar. Or, at first it did, I guess, after I talked to David and he said how young you were, and everything that happened with his brother and all that. But then seeing how rich both your families are, and all this other stuff with Gold and Cora both knowing that I went into the foster system and doing nothing about it. Now... Now I just want to punch someone in the face."

Mary-Margaret swallowed. "Well, if that will help, you can."

Emma looked up at the serious woman bracing herself. "What? No. I wouldn't actually. Not you, anyway." Then she chuckled. "Although I heard it wouldn't be the first time."

"Regina told you about that, did she?" Mary-Margaret smiled wryly. "Yes, well, I suppose I deserved it. I promised her I wouldn't say anything, but I couldn't stand by and do nothing, not once her mother made her start working with my father. She'd already shut me out, and she shut Zelena out as well. Knowing what I know now I wish I had gone to her mother instead of Gold."

Emma's eyes blew wide. "You told him?" 

"No, not specifically, but I convinced him to hire her so she'd be away from the mayor." 

"Why him? Why not Cora?"

The older woman sighed. "Cora has a way of getting what she wants, I doubted I could help Regina at all without revealing everything I knew, and I thought I'd already done enough harm telling Zelena. Gold, on the other hand, was well known for trading in favours without needing to know all the reasons why."

"What favour did you have to do for him?" Emma asked suspiciously.

She shrugged. "When he hired her on a permanent basis after college I figured that it must have turned out so well for him having Regina working for him that he let it go."

Emma scrunched her face up in disbelief. "You'd know him better than me, but he doesn't strike me as the type to just let it go."

Mary-Margaret swirled the contents of her glass. "You know, I wouldn't object if you punched him. I kind of want to do it myself, actually."

The blonde chuckled. "You take him, I'll take Cora."

"You're that mad at Cora?"

Emma's half-smile dropped away. "Yeah. She assumed just because I was a cute little white girl that some other family would have come along adopted me. I know she only found out later that no one did, but she didn't even do anything then, you know?"

"Yes, sometimes people don't dig deeper into things that they should because they don't really want to have to deal with what they find." 

"There was still time. It was before Henry..." The liquid burned a trail down her throat again. "I wanted to keep him. I wanted him so bad. But I wanted him to have a better life than I had even more. But if... If I'd known you then... I mean the way you helped Ashley." She tried to blink them away but couldn't stop the tears cutting tracks down her burning cheeks. "But I see how much Regina loves him, and how great a kid he turned out to be, and even still I'm just so angry that I had to make that choice when I shouldn't have had to. If Gold or Cora had done more to get me back, I wouldn't have been dirt poor, homeless, and all alone."

Mary-Margaret reeled at the extent of her daughter's suffering. "Or if I had kept you from the start." She said quietly. Her bottom lip quivered slightly and she stilled by biting down on it.

"Or that." Emma replied, just as quietly.

The brunette rubbed her cheek. "I wasn't the person I am now back then, Emma. I was such a spoiled brat for such a long time. My mother became very ill when I was twelve, and her death soon after was so difficult for me because I had thought I would be able to save her if I just wished for it hard enough. I'd always gotten everything I wished for. In my grief, I latched onto my father, which became quite... unhealthy.

"Then your father came along and he was wonderful to me, he made me feel good again for the first time in years. I loved him so much..." She paused to pour herself another drink. "James had only just died when I found out I was pregnant. I often think about how it may have gone if I had told David about you at James' funeral like I had planned to, but when I saw him so devastated I worried that it would be too much.

"The longer I left it, the harder it became to say anything, and the more the negative thoughts took over again. I had lived my life in black and white, I saw everything as extremes, and when David fell into addiction, the perfect life, the happy ending to my fairytale that I'd dreamed of having with him disappeared. And if I couldn't have it all, I wanted none of it." Her daughter looked up at her, green eyes surprisingly dry, yet they expressed a deep sadness. "I'm sorry, Emma. 

"My father was so mad when he found out, so mad. And he was all I had again. The next thing I knew, Gold was promising he could make it right, that he knew a lovely couple that would love you and take care of you and that's what I wanted. I wanted you to have your best chance, but I was scared too that if I kept you I would look at you and see what I lost with David, and that I'd lose my father too. It was so selfish."

Emma shrugged one shoulder. "No, I can understand that. I remember how terrifying the thought of doing it alone was, and you were even younger than I was."

"Zelena helped me a lot, although I didn't know it at the time about Gold's contract with her preventing her from encouraging me to keep you-"

"He gave her a contract that said that?"

"It was carefully worded of course, something like _I, Zelena Carlin, hereby agree to refrain from using any methods of influence toward any parties under my care for the duration of the agreed employment_ or something like that. He's very specific in his wording to both get his meaning across without actually putting anything illegal into paperwork."

Emma puffed out her cheeks. "Regina did say while his ethics were lacking he was legally watertight.”

Her mother pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "Hmmm. I'm not so convinced everything he did was legal, as much as he always managed to keep his own hands clean."

"Now that sounds a bit more like what I expect of him." Emma pointed at her. "Sorry, go on. You were saying about Zelena?"

"Yes, well she was wonderful and she kept in touch with me after I left her care. I was miserable for a long time but she built me back up to where I could stand on my own again, and much to my father's dismay I left home to go and live at the convent. I started volunteering at the hospital, YMCA and YWCA, retirement homes, wild animal rescue center..." She touched her fingers as she listed them off, then laughed. "He thought I'd gone crazy, but I finally felt free."

"You know, I was angry that you did so much to help Ashley, jealous really because I had no one, but when I saw her and the baby I was really glad that she did have you." Emma admitted.

"You have me now too, Emma." Mary-Margaret put down her glass and took Emma's from her hand. "I wish I had been there for you too, but I'm here for you now and don't you forget it." She cupped her daughter's face in her hands again, and brought her forward to kiss her on the forehead. Arms snaked tentatively around her waist and she dropped her hands and wrapped her arms around the shorter woman's shoulders instead. "I love you, Emma." She murmured into blonde curls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew.. that was another tough one to write.   
> Carlin is Scottish for witch, apparently. Green Witch. *sigh* I love this show.


	30. Chapter 30

Emma slid her key in the lock and opened her door with great relief to be home and alone for the first time in the longest four days ever. The drive back with David's family had been fine, although her mind kept drifting to the other vehicle that was or would be at some point that day travelling down the same highway. 

She dropped her duffel bag on the floor, hung her jacket on the coat rack, turned and latched the door and took one step towards her kitchen before noticing an empty beer bottle sitting on the counter. She frowned, not remembering having left it there, then froze as she noticed the condensation still beaded on it. She felt warm, possibly from the adrenaline, but she had turned the aircon right down to save money while she was away so she should still be able to feel the chill in the air.

Silently she crept into the apartment and cast her eye around. Nothing seemed to be missing, but she knew someone had definitely been there. The couch cushions were piled up at one end, and the TV remote was on the arm rest rather than in it's place on the coffee table.

A noise from down the hall caught her attention, and she saw the bathroom door was closed. Emma crept forward and reached around into her bedroom to pick up the baseball bat she kept next to her bed; an old habit she never bothered to break and for which she was now grateful. She held the bat battering-ram style and reached out one hand to slowly pull down the door handle. She gave it a shove and stepped into the steamy room, bat held aloft, yelling like a gladiator going into battle.

The intruder screamed and lunged toward her, grabbing the bat with lightning speed. Their faces only inches apart, Emma's battle cry turned into a short burst of a scream until she ran out of breath. The intruder flinched and let go of the bat, then shoved in the chest and her back hit the door. "Don't fucking scream at me!" She shouted, brown skin glistening with moisture, chest heaving small blue boyshorts the only clothing covering the lean, muscular body. 

"You screamed at me first!" Emma shouted back. 

"You charged at me with a baseball bat!"

"You broke into my apartment!"

Mulan grinned. "You taught me how to pick locks." She reached down into a pile of clothes and tugged a skintight black tank-top over her head.

With a resigned sigh Emma turned on the spot and threw the bat across the hall and onto her bed, where it bounced and rolled off the other side. "I also left you clear across the country. C'mere." She said, and pulled her best friend into a hug. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Mulan squeezed her tightly then let go. "Felt like dropping by for a surprise visit." She shrugged.

Emma narrowed her eyes. "You flew across the country when you knew I was going to be away, just to surprise me?"

"You were surprised, weren't you?" Her friend gave her a playful shove as she walked past her. "Now I wanna hear all about your weekend away with the lovely Ms Mills! Beer?" 

"Yeah, sure." Emma called after her with a resigned but pleased sigh, and she kicked off her shoes and jeans, and peeled off her sweater and t-shirt. Mulan opened two and handed her one as they walked to the living room.

"Damn, girl. What happened to you?" Mulan pointed to the large purplish bruise up the back of her thigh.

Emma flopped down on the sofa. "Nothing. Slipped over running down a forest track."

"Oh. Boring." Mulan took the other end, her long, lean legs stretched out and on the coffee table. "So...?" She asked and waggled her eyebrows.

Emma groaned. "It all turned to shit, Mu. She didn't even want me to drive back with them, I had to get a ride from David."

"Oh shit. What happened?" Mulan asked. She threw a cushion at Emma, who caught it in front of her face and tucked it behind her back, and drew her legs up and crossed them.

"You know how when I told her I moved here to find my parents she got all funny about thinking I had adoptive parents and they weren't enough for me, and it turned out that was because Henry's adopted?" Mulan nodded, and Emma drew in a deep breath. "And you know how when I was seventeen..."

Mulan's eyes dropped to Emma's hand, her elbow propped up on the back of the soft and her hand hanging to her waist, her fingers unconsciously stroking her skin through her tank-top. "No!"

"Yeah."

"No!" Mulan shook her head. "No, that's too fucking weird. Henry?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah." She took a long drink of the cold lager. 

Mulan was still shaking her head. "I know they say it's a small world, Em, but that is too much of a coincidence. Are you sure? You should get his DNA tested."

"Normally I'd agree with you, but you see, it gets a lot fucking weirder than that. I met the asshole who arranged my adoption and it seems despite him not pulling me out of the system he like, stalked me, and when he found out I was pregnant he lined up Regina to adopt the kid."

"And she just went along with it?"

"She didn't know." Emma stroked her fingers through the condensation on the bottle. "She found out when I did. I took off but apparently she freaked out thinking Henry would want to live with me, but then later that night she was pushing me that we needed to tell him. I don't want to, Mu. I'm not cut out to be a mother. He's gonna expect me to be something I'm not."

"Em," Mulan whined, "you're great with kids. But why does she want to tell him if she's so afraid of you having some kind of biological upper hand anyway?"

"She hadn't told him he was adopted, so when he found out by snooping around, he flipped out and they had a really rough time. She promised him she wouldn't lie to him like that again, even by omission."

"So she's damned if she does, and damned if she doesn't? That sucks." Mulan pulled a face and swigged her beer.

"She's not damned..." Emma struggled to wrap her mind around Regina's perspective since she had only been thinking of her own. "I guess she's scared he'll pull away from her again, and thinks he's less likely to go back to her if she keeps this from him." She licked her lips nervously. "Shit, I guess we have to tell him." She groaned and rubbed her eyes. "Things were going pretty well too, before that."

"Yeah?" Mulan cocked her head, a sparkle returning to her eye. "You get some?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "We kissed-" Mulan squealed, then cleared her throat and Emma chuckled. "And later that night she was upset about some other family stuff, and Henry was hogging her bed by the time she was ready to turn in. Cut it out, stop looking at me like that." 

Mulan covered her eyes with her free hand and the beer bottle, the wide grin still plastered across her face. "Go on."

"We just held hands while she talked, and I hugged her while she cried for a bit, and we woke up still snuggled together." Her heart clenched at the memory and her expression tinged with sadness. "It was really nice."

"Ugh, you two are gonna give me diabetes, I swear to god." Mulan uncovered her eyes and pretended to glare at Emma.

"Yeah, well, I think that's as far as that is ever going to go. Now it's weird. She's the mother of my kid." Emma was taken aback at her own words and gulped. "I mean... well and I guess I'm the mother of hers. We haven't even been on a date and she's thinking about co-parenting. She's gonna run for the hills."

Mulan rolled her eyes this time. "You're an idiot. You think she wasn't already thinking about that when you two were buddy-buddy and going to all Henry's soccer games together and cooking dinner for each other? And you may not have been thinking about it consciously, because you are such an idiot, but you were already willing to co-parent him with her before your genetic link was uncovered. You, Emma Swan, are head over heels for Regina Mills and you already loved that kid like he was your own."

She let the pale-faced blonde soak up that information in peace for a minute while she fetched them two fresh beers, the first (well, her second) having gone down far too easily.

"Maybe I did, that still doesn't mean I know how to be a mother." She husked out finally.

"Pffft of course not. That's mostly just being a decent human being, which you are, partly learning as you go along, which you do well, and a little bit of just making it up and hoping for the best when you have no idea. Which I guarantee is what every parent does at some point including Regina."

Emma leaned back in her seat and stared out the window at the late afternoon sun hitting the buildings across the street. Slowly the tension eased out of her shoulders.

On their third beer together, Emma turned her whole body on the seat to face her friend. "So are you going to tell me now the real reason why you're here?"

Mulan groaned. "How do you do that?"

The blonde smiled. "It's my superpower."

Mulan pointed to Emma's red briefs. "I think you're supposed to have blue leggings on under those jocks. And something other than a white beater." Emma smiled and watched her friend squirm under her intense gaze. "Ugh, fine. _Aurora_ and I are on a break."

Emma sat up straight. "Shit, must be bad if you're calling her that. What happened?"

Her friend ran her slender fingers through her long, black hair. "You remember how she was annoyed that I agreed to cover for Anna and run that bootcamp overnighter out at Cannon Beach on Halloween weekend, and I missed that huge haunted house party that her old sorority sisters were throwing?" Emma nodded. "Yeah, well, guess who was at the party."

Emma's frown dissipated after a few moments thought and her eyebrows raised but she didn't say a word.

"Yup. Phillip."

"No way. I thought he was well out of the picture. Out of the country, in fact."

"So did I, but apparently he's moving up from running the Hong Kong branch of his father's business and is back state-side." Mulan bit her lip and scratched at the label on her bottle.

"Mu?" Emma said softly. "What happened?"

"She said it was just a drunken thing, just once."

"Fuck."

"That's not the worst of it." Mulan sighed. "She's pregnant."

Emma put down her drink and moved over to sit next to her friend. She slung an arm around the slim, wiry woman and pulled her close. "I'm sorry, Mu." The dark-haired woman rested her head on Emma's shoulder and sighed. 

After a while she spoke again. "She wants to keep it."

"What do you think about that?" Emma reached out for Mulan's free hand and interlocked their fingers.

"We'd already talked about having kids together. We wanted to. I just wanted it to be planned and ours, you know? Not like this. Of course I always felt using donor sperm was hinkey. The father of your kids is some guy who got paid to jack off into a cup. As if you'd really get the cream of the crop there."

"Pun intended?"

"Gross." Mulan scrunched her nose up. "You know what I mean. It'd be easy, and there are more guys to choose from than we know in our social circles. Plus if we want a biracial baby that I don't have to carry it'd be less weird if it were an Chinese guy that my mother _hasn't_ tried to marry me off to at some point. But I don't trust strangers, I don't even trust them to vet these douchebags they're gathering jizz for properly. What if he's a psychopath? Or some ugly motherfucking ogre?"

"You sound like you're not exactly hating the idea of raising this baby with Rory."

"She says it was just a one time thing, but I'm not sure I believe that. She wants him to be in the kid's life." Mulan fell silent, chewing on her lip, deep in thought. "At least the son of a bitch is smart, really good looking, and a nice guy to boot."

Emma chuckled. "You'd know."

Mulan pulled away. "Really? You're going to hold that against me at a time like this?" She grabbed a cushion and smacked Emma over the head with it. "I don't know why I'm friends with you. That was ONE TIME. It was COLLEGE. And I had no idea that Rory and I would end up getting together after they broke up." She swigged her beer. "You're just jealous 'cause you never had a threesome."

Emma poked her in the ribs. "Yeah, well, you make them look like such a great idea." 

"You're a fucking bitch, Swan." She growled and glared at the blonde. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." Emma smiled back, and grabbed her beer off the coffee table. "But seriously, a kid being loved by three parents is better than two, isn't it? You love Rory. And you had a bit of a crush on him before he even introduced you to her, if I remember rightly. Maybe even if it wasn't a one time drunken thing... maybe you could make it work?"

Mulan narrowed her eyes. "Since when were you all progressive?"

Emma shrugged. "I've had a bit of a crash course in unusual families lately. Family isn't about blood, and love is not what you expect it to be. There are no fairytale happy endings, no _true love_ that is always easy and never hurts. Everyone will hurt you at some point with something they do or don't do, and it's often just a bad decision that wouldn't have been nearly so disastrous if keeping secrets from your loved one hadn't compounded the consequences.

"The way I see it, you're gonna have to deal with shit your whole life, but you can choose who you deal with shit for. I always tried to never get attached to anyone, but I still had plenty of shit to deal with and in the end I was always alone. Now I'd rather deal with it _with_ and _for_ someone I love, you know? You have to choose to fight for it, and you gotta get everything out in the open. If you want to raise this kid with her, or with both of them in any capacity, talk about it."

"It's also okay if you want to walk the hell away from it. She did a really shitty thing and you didn't deserve that. You gotta do what's right for you too."

The brunette sighed. "Yeah. It just really fucking hurts right now, Em. I don't want to even think about it."

"I know, kiddo." She placed her hand on her friend's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. 

A loud knock on the door interrupted their unusually tender moment, and Emma leapt off the sofa, beer in hand. She opened the door to find Regina standing on the other side, a long beige trenchcoat wrapped around her and a small basket of apples in her arms. "Hi."

"Miss Swan." Her eyes fixed onto Emma's although the blonde could tell by the how they widened and the slight tightening around her mouth that she had noticed her lack of pants in her peripheral vision. "I brought you the last of this season's Honeycrisp apples from my tree. I was hoping we could talk."

A thump and the sound of empty beer bottles knocking together came from the living room and Regina tensed. She inhaled and pushed her jaw forward, and her eyes turned cold. "I didn't realise you had company."

"No, it's-"

There were quick footsteps then Mulan appeared next to Emma, bumping shoulders with the momentum of her pace and level of inebriation. She let out a low whistle. "Damn, Regina! You are even more gorgeous in person."

Emma flushed pink and shut her eyes, her face pinching in embarrassment. Regina maintained her composure, smiled sweetly and her tongue darted forward to wet her lips. "Thank you, Mulan. I wasn't aware you were in Boston. It is lovely to see you again," she paused, "in the flesh." 

Mulan grinned cheekily and raised an eyebrow. "I surprised her. You should have seen her face!"

"Would you like to come in?" Emma offered, surreptitiously elbowing her friend.

"The dress code isn't compulsory," Mulan added and waved a hand over her tank and brief combo similar to Emma's, "but is highly recommended." Emma shoved her away from the door without taking her eyes off Regina.

Regina's smile widened. "No, I shall leave you two to your reunion. I would, however, like to speak with you when you have a moment. And are sober." Her eyes flickered down over the blonde's attire, or lack thereof. "And dressed, although that is not compulsory."

She gulped at the feel of a familiar twitch low in her belly. "Uhh, yeah. Sure. I'll be in touch." 

The brunette eyes were downright predatory. "I hope so." She held the basket forward and Emma took it with her free hand. She watched hips sway and pantyhose-clad calves flex as Regina walked up the corridor toward the elevator for a moment before she closed the door.

Mulan picked an apple from the basket and laughed. She rubbed it on her tank, then took a bite, grinning widely.

"What?" Emma asked, setting it down on the counter.

"She's sweetening you up."

"That flirting? That was... unusually forward. I think she might have actually been jealous." She took her own apple from the basket and took a bite. The juice escaped the side of her mouth and trickled down her chin, and she wiped at it with her wrist.

"No, bish. Apples. They make your vajayjay taste good."

Emma inhaled a small piece of the apple in her mouth and Mulan pounded her on the back while she coughed.


	31. Chapter 31

Henry climbed in under the blankets and sat with his back against the headboard. "You gave her the apples?"

"I did." Regina replied, and she pulled the blankets up over his pyjama-clad legs.

He was still frowning. "And was she okay?"

His mother sighed. "Yes, she's okay, Henry. She just needs some time."

"But why?" The pitch of his voice rose in a whine.

"As I said, she received some unexpected news and she just needs time to process it."

He played with the edges of the bedsheet. "But she stayed with Mary-Margaret, and she drove home with David, and she saw you tonight when you took her the apples. Is it me she doesn't want to see?" His brow had shifted from a frown to a concerned wrinkle across his forehead, his eyes sad.

She rested a hand on his leg over the blankets. "Mary-Margaret really wanted to talk to her about it, and I guess she wanted to talk to David after that. She'll come to us when she's ready sweetie. I promise."

He huffed in frustration, her curious boy and his lack of patience. "You can't promise that."

"You're right, I can't. But I really am quite sure that she will." She straightened the covers over him. "Now, which story would you like me to read to you?"

Henry scooted down in the bed so his head was on the pillow, and he rolled away from her. "I don't want a story. I'm tired."

She sighed again and smoothed his hair, still slightly damp from his recent shower. "Alright then. Goodnight Henry." She leant down and kissed the side of his head.

"Goodnight Mom." He mumbled, and she switched off his light and closed the door.

He lay awake, staring first at the side of his bedside table, the large, brown leather book sitting atop it, and then at the ceiling when he rolled to his back. Truth be told, the last thing he was in the world was tired since he had slept for most of the car-ride back to Boston. He liked being in his bed again, in his room with all his books and his clocks, but he missed his grandparents. He missed Nick and Ava, he missed eating at Tiana's cafe, playing with Raf while his mother laughed and talked with Marian.

She didn't laugh so much anymore, in fact, except for the weekend that Marian came to stay, the only time she seemed at all happy was when she was with Emma, about to see Emma, or had just seen Emma. Sometimes he caught her smiling with a far-away look in her eyes, and she was always happy when Emma called or sent her a message.

He couldn't help but worry that Emma would leave again. He heard them say she ran away from the hospital but no one would tell him why. He had over heard, well, he had hidden outside the kitchen that morning and overheard his mother telling his grandparents that Graham had locked her up at the Sheriff's station to stop her from leaving, but there was no one to stop her here. He'd overheard his abula tell his mom that Emma could be a drifter, that she didn't own anything in her apartment and might disappear at anytime. The fear of her leaving without warning was too real.

He waited until he heard the running water stop in their upstairs bathroom, and then a few more minutes after his mother's door clicked shut. As quietly as he could, he slipped out of bed, put on his red fluffy dressing gown and picked up his slippers. He carefully opened his door, wide enough to fit through but not so wide that it creaked at that one spot, and he crept down the stairs. He realised at the door that he forgot to unclip his key from his backpack, and his mom kept her keys in her room now. He disarmed the alarm just as he had watched her do every afternoon when they arrived home, and decided he would just leave the door unlocked. He was only going downstairs after all.

He pushed the lift button and the doors opened immediately. The Darlings or the Scarlets in one of the other penthouses must have been the last in the building to arrive home. He stepped in and pressed the button to close the doors then the one for the second floor.

When they re-opened, he had put his slippers on, and he stepped out and down the hall, slowing as he approached 205. The door was ajar, but all the lights were off. He pushed the door open. "Emma?" he said softly.

He crept in, it was a little messier than usual but it didn't look like anything had been stolen or any sign of a fight. He frowned at the empty living area, and crept down the hall. "Emma?" His voice in a stage whisper.

Her bedroom door was open, and as he rounded the corner into it, he was met by the sight of a young Asian woman, her dark hair splayed out on the pillow, a leg kicked out from under the blankets. The other side of the bed was empty, Emma was gone and he felt his heart sink. He was too late. 

The woman's dark eyes peeled open and his widened in surprise, though his feet felt rooted to the spot. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. "Are you Henry?"

XxxxxxxxxX

_Two Minutes Earlier_

The piercing squeal jarred her from her sleep. In the unfamiliar surroundings and lingering alcohol in her system, she rolled off the couch, the small fleece blanket that Mulan must have thrown over her after she fell asleep fell to the floor. She scrabbled around trying to find her phone, but when the beeping didn't stop, the realisation of what it meant set in and she bolted out the front door. In her bare feet she flew past the elevator, slammed the door open into the staircase, and pounded up the three floors to the penthouse. The keys in her hand were still beeping.

She stepped forward and tried the door handle, which to her surprised twisted and opened, and she wished she had thought to bring her bat. The apartment was dark downstairs, lit by the bright lights streaming down from the mezzanine floor. "Regina?" She called out, hesitant but loud enough to be heard.

She heard footsteps, then Regina appeared at the top of the staircase in a pale blue silk nightgown, sleeveless and falling just above her knees. "Emma!" She ran down the stairs in a panic, keys and phone in hand. "He's gone! Henry's missing!"

"He's gone?" Emma asked, and she reached out for the brunette as she dashed past her.

Regina pressed the disarm button on her keys to stop the incessant beeping and strode to the hall closet. "Yes, Miss Swan, that's what I said. He's gone!" She pulled on her beige trenchcoat and slipped on a pair of low heeled pumps. 

Emma ran back into the hallway and pressed the button for the lift. Regina pulled the door shut and stood next to her, watching the numbers light up as the elevator rose. Emma looked down at her state of undress and faltered, still worried but a little embarrassed.

"Uhhh.. you go down to the foyer, I'm gonna grab some clothes." She said, and ducked into the stairwell as the lift doors opened. The phone in her hand rang as she pushed the lobby button. It was Emma.

"Emma?" She answered it with obvious confusion, since she hadn't seen anything in Emma's hands other than her keys, and she had no pockets in her... well.

 _"Regina, it's Mulan. Henry's here."_ She said sleepily.

"Thanks, I'm coming down." The other woman disconnected the call before she did.

Her head dropped back in relief and she hit the level 2 button, the elevator car slowed and doors opened. She stepped out and opened the door to the stairwell as Emma bounced down the last flight towards her. She held up her phone. "It seems he is with your friend in your apartment."

Emma frowned. "Huh?"

She followed the brunette into her own apartment where Henry was sitting at the dining table with Mulan, a small glass of chocolate soy milk in front of him.

"Henry!" Regina exclaimed, rushing to his side and squeezing him into her. "What are you doing here?"

His eyes met with Emma's as she entered behind his mother. "Emma? You were with Mom?"

The two women exchanged a glance. "No, honey, Emma came upstairs when I saw you were missing."

"How did you even know I was missing?" He asked. "I only just got here."

Emma answered this time. "She heard the door, kid. Called me."

He looked at Mulan, and the phone still in her hand. "But your phone was here."

"I left it here, I was in such a hurry to catch you, but I took the stairs. You came down in the lift, right?" She crossed her arms and turned it back onto him. "Why were you coming down here in the middle of the night anyway?"

"It's ten o'clock!" He groaned.

"Henry!" Regina scolded his tone.

Emma's eyebrows raised at his sass, and she tried to not smile at him being his mother's son. "Yeah, well, it's still past your bedtime!"

"Why was she in your bed?" He asked, tipping his head towards and scowling at Mulan. "I thought you liked my mom." 

Mulan raised her hands and backed away from the table to put the soy milk back in the refrigerator, then hoisted herself up to sit on the kitchen counter, watching from a slight distance. Emma looked at Regina who looked just as flabbergasted as she did. She put her hands on the table across from the boy and leaned forward. "Uhh, well, I do, kid. Look, Mulan is my friend from Portland. She's visiting me. I was asleep on the couch when... I got the call."

Regina pulled out the chair at the head of the table next to Henry and sat down. "Henry, why did you come down here?"

He looked at his mother, then at Emma, then at his hands on the glass in front of him. "I thought she might be going to leave."

Emma softened. "Leave? I'm not going anywhere, kid."

"Abuela said you don't own any of this, that it is all temporary." He said, his eyes remaining fixed on his drink. "And Graham had to lock you up to stop you leaving yesterday."

Emma looked at Regina, who scrunched her eyes a moment before responding. "It wasn't quite like that, Henry."

"Actually it kinda was." Emma said. She pulled out the chair in front of her and sat down. Regina looked at her with surprise, but she continued. "I was going to leave Storybrooke yesterday, but I wanted to come back here. I wasn't leaving you." She reached across the table and placed her hand over his small wrist. "I promise."

"Really?" He looked up at her, his large, hazel eyes gazed deep into her own, and her breath caught for a moment as it hit her. This was the baby she talked to and stroked in her belly, the baby she heard cry but refused to hold, knowing it would be too hard to let him go if she did. The baby she thought about every day of her life, for one reason or other. Here he was, sitting across from her at her table.

She sucked in a breath and swallowed roughly as her mouth went dry. "Yeah, kid. I'm not going anywhere." She glanced across at Regina, who was looking at her with an unreadable expression, tense, yet compassionate, with a hint of warning. "Look, Hen, it's pretty late. You have school tomorrow, I have work. How about we all go back to bed and talk about this another night?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "If you're really not going to leave..."

Emma smiled. "I promise! I'm not going to leave. We'll talk properly another night."

They said their goodbyes and Emma watched Regina walk her son to the elevator, her arm across his shoulders. They both gave her the same exact smile over their shoulders before they stepped into the lift, and she struggled to believe that they weren't blood related. She closed the door and leaned against it.

"Where the hell were you?" Mulan asked from her perch atop the counter. "I didn't see any call or message in your phone when I was looking for Regina's number."

Emma puffed out her cheeks as she exhaled. "There's an alarm on Regina's door that when armed alerts us both if it's opened. I ran up as soon as I heard it."

Mulan cocked her head. "Is that because of that creepy dude who bailed her up on the street?"

The blonde pushed off the door and walked toward her friend. "Yeah, she didn't feel safe so I installed it. She didn't want Henry to know about it and worry." She slapped Mulan's thigh with the back of her hand. "Well I feel wide awake now. You want something to eat?"

Together they cooked up enough zucchini and lemon pasta for the both of them, plus a container full for Emma's lunch the next day. She had just unhooked her bra and pulled it out through the arm hole of her tank, about to climb into bed next to Mulan because the couch was both too short and too hard when the alarm went off again. She groaned and snagged a pair of shorts and a hoodie from her dresser. 

"That kid never gives up. If I have to duct tape him into his bed this time, I will." She groaned, walking out into the living room and through to the front door, which she slammed behind her a little louder than necessary.

Mulan sat in the bed and chuckled, then reached for Emma's phone as it vibrated on the bedside table. "Hey, Regina."

_"Mulan, sorry, I don't know what's gotten into him."_

"It's cool, we weren't asleep yet anyway. Emma's waiting in the hall, gonna turn him around and bring him back up." 

_"Wonderful, I was just getting dressed to come down and--"_ the click of a door latch was followed by a loud gasp and a clattering of the phone hitting the floor.

"Regina?!" Mulan shouted. She could hear muffled thumps and noises of a struggle, and she leapt out of bed and ran as fast as she could.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this is another I may edit.. my brain feels like sludge at the moment, thinking is hard. But I still wanted to get something out to you so I don't lose momentum and stop completely, and I think it's.. okay enough. :)

The light flicked from 5 to 4 to 3 and Emma put on her most stern face and placed her hands on her hips. The 2 light lit up and the lift dinged before the doors opened. Emma frowned. It was empty.

She stepped in and pressed the top floor and door close buttons. She watched the lights again, 3, 4, 5. Another ding and the doors opened. She didn't think Henry would have taken the stairs and hoped Regina had caught the kid before he made it off the top floor this time. With her hand raised to knock, she suddenly froze as unusual noises filtered through to her. She tried the handle and once again it opened freely. 

"Regina?" She called, the concern in her voice audible.

There was a thump and a strange combination of a whimper and a grunt from upstairs, and she flicked on the light. A figure all in black, face masked by a balaclava appeared and thundered down the stairs, a small black back clutched in their gloved hand. 

Adrenaline pulsed through her body and she knew she was supposed to let them past, that for an act to be classed as self-defence you had to be in immediate danger and to reasonably attempt to avoid using force, and he was clearly trying to escape. But she didn't know if Regina was okay, and if she wasn't, she couldn't let him get away. She stepped to the side and held up her hands, but as his feet hit the bottom stair Regina appeared at the top and for a moment she was distracted.

"Emma..." Her hair was dishevelled, and the shoulder of her nightgown was ripped half way across the wide strap. 

The panic in her voice stirred up Emma's most primal mode which bypassed her better judgement, and though the intruder had passed her, she flew off into a run at his retreating form. She leapt on him again just as he entered the communal hallway. Her bodyweight and the force she hit him with caused him to stumble but didn't bring him down. He was barely taller than she, slight, but surprisingly quick and strong despite his slight paunch.

She faltered at the half-strength elbow he managed to land to her ribs but was able to still hoist herself higher on his back and manoeuvred her arm under his throat. Her cheek pressed against the buzz-cut hair on the crown of his head, kept short in an attempt to hide how much it was thinning on top. He staggered to the side, turned sideways, and slammed the pair of them backwards into the wall. Emma felt the wind leave her chest, and the strength to hold onto him dissipate. He stumbled away from her and lunged back towards the apartment to collect the bag he had dropped.

As he passed her again she grabbed at the back of his woollen over-shirt and swung out a kick to the back of his knee, but with the poor angle and her shortness for breath it didn't even drop him to the ground. He turned and his dark eyes, physically close together but opened wide with adrenaline, locked onto hers. His stale, laboured breath blew across her face and she could see blood on his teeth. Her hand still gripped the back of his shirt, which with his latest turn had caused her arm to be pinned under his, and he swung a knee into the side of her thigh. She cursed and felt her knee bend, and as he landed another blow to the inside of her bicep she let him go and dropped to the ground, lopsidedly onto her injured leg. 

She threw herself forward and caught one of the handles of the back he carried. She was hurting, she wasn't winning, but she had to try. He braced himself and wrenched it, the canvas burning her fingers as it was ripped from her grasp. She heard Regina approaching from behind her, felt a soft hand on her shoulder. She was talking to the 911 operator but whispered her name as she squeezed in support and reassurance. Emma's head dropped forward, the burning shame of failure exploding through her chest.

The stairwell door opened with a bang and the man skidded to a halt as the heel of Mulan's hand connected with his nose. Milliseconds after the impact, her hand had slid down into a fistful of his shirt and with a downwards jerk she landed a knee directly into his stomach. He groaned and doubled over, and with two quick punches to his ribs she wrenched his arm behind his back and kicked his knee, dropping him to the ground. 

She knelt on his back, 125lbs of pure muscle, and with the coldest, scariest tone Emma had ever heard she growled at him. "Citizen's arrest, motherfucker. One move and I'll break your arm, one more and I'll break your back. Got it?" He panted heavily and squirmed with discomfort rather than in any real attempt to escape. She twisted his thumb back further. "I said got it?"

The man yelped. "Yeah! Yeah. Got it." He whimpered with a slight eastern European accent. He blinked through the tears filling his eyes and exhaled through his nose, blood trickling out of it onto the floor.

Emma crawled on her hands and knees, her dead leg still refusing to cooperate. "Who the fuck are you?" She barked.

The man now looked terrified, his lips now red with blood as well as his teeth. "Who are you?" He spit back, then whimpered again as Mulan tightened her hold on him.

"Walter." Regina said with venom. "He's the one who updated the alarm software, and obviously obtained the means to disarm it since the only alarm to have activated was yours."

The blonde frowned. "Your cop friend's guy?" Regina nodded.

"You weren't supposed to be here." Walter stammered. "Thanksgiving."

"Mom?" The boy's voice sounded so much younger than his usual self, and he held a stuffed hound dog tightly in his fist as he stood at the threshold of his home.

Regina turned and used her body to block the view of the apprehended man on their hallway floor. "Henry, come back inside. It's all okay now. The police are coming." Sure enough there were sirens coming into earshot.

Emma sat back on her haunches and leaned over to grab the bag from where it had fallen. She unzipped it. 

"That's an illegal search and-" He was cut off by extra pressure on his wrist.

Emma shrugged. "It was open when I found it. Must have happened in the struggle." She peered into it then turned to him with a menacing glare. "The fuck?"

"Free upgrade?" He winced.

Mulan leaned forward, her weight pressing harder on her knee which caused him to wince, an unintended but not unwanted side-effect of trying to see. "What is it?"

The blonde looked back into the apartment to confirm Henry was out of earshot. Kid had a tendency to listen in on conversations. "Cameras. Tiny ones." She rummaged around. "Wireless, and a transmitter." She zipped the bag back up again and threw it to where it had fallen. Rocking forward back up to her knees, she dropped her weight into a punch to his kidney. "Fucking pervert."

XxxxxxxxxX

It was just before two am by the time the officers left with a recalcitrant Walter, after his efforts to convince them using his former police officer status that the whole incident was a security company misunderstanding failed. It was three am by the time Regina managed to get Henry settled and back to sleep. 

She sighed as the door to his room snicked closed, and she padded down the stairs to the living room where Mulan and Emma were. "Thank you for staying, I'm sorry that took so long." 

"It's fine, Regina. Emma said this couch is pretty comfy so I figured I'd give it a go. It's already feeling better than that uber soft, fluffy piece of shit bed she has downstairs." Mulan stretched out underneath the thin sheet Emma had taken from the linen closet already tucked in around her, the thick, towelling robe that Regina had loaned her draped over her feet.

Emma stood and stepped up to Regina and took her hand. "Lets get you to bed, you look exhausted."

"Aren't you charming? I bet you say that to all the girls." Mulan piped up, though she kept her mouth closed.

Regina smiled at Emma. "You're lucky that I actually am." She flinched as the younger woman's thumb brushed over her knuckles, and Emma frowned.

She lifted Regina's hand up and noticed the swelling and slight bruising, and smiled crookedly. "Your famous right cross?"

"I couldn't get as much power behind it as I wanted, but yes. Square in the mouth." She replied with a slight air of pride.

Emma chuckled and kissed the knuckle lightly, then lead her up the stairs. 

Mulan turned the lights off behind them with the remote. "Goodnight, ladies."

They walked hand in hand to Regina's room at the end of the hall, and Emma saw for the first time the scene of the initial altercation. A picture frame on the dresser had been knocked off onto the floor, and it laid with shattered glass fanned out on one corner of the rug, which had bunched up to one side. Regina's jaw clenched and her grip on Emma's hand tightened.

"You don't have to, you know. You can take the spare room." She said softly.

After a moment's pause Regina stepped over the rug and to the closet, where she hung her robe up on a hook. With her back to Emma, she pulled her nightgown with the torn shoulder over her head, and Emma quickly looked away from the expanse of olive skin, contrasted by white cotton briefs. She looked at the photograph on the floor instead, it was Regina and Henry, and he looked about five years old. Her arms are wrapped around him from behind and he had the widest grin across his face. 

She looked up as Regina approached her, and she pointed to the curtain rail across the room where a dozen drying roses hung on strings. "Nice roses."

Regina smiled. "Yes. They're beautiful." She leaned in close, nuzzled their noses together, and pecked Emma on the lips. "Just like you. Thank you."

The blonde swallowed heavily. "Thank me?" Regina pulled back to look at her. "Why?"

She turned and looked at the roses behind her, then back to Emma, a deep wrinkle in between her eyebrows. "They're not from you?"

Emma shook her head slowly. "No... I... I wish they were, but no."

Regina looked back once again at the flowers, and Emma slid her hand over the soft silky fabric covering her back and guided her out of the room. She flicked the light off and they walked down the hall to the spare room. Emma took the side of the bed closest to the door, while Regina circled to the other side and climbed in. Emma left her shorts on and sat on the edge, and pulled her sweatshirt over her head.

Regina hissed and the bed shifted as she sat up and scooted to Emma's side. Cool fingers tucked into the arm hole of her tank and pulled it towards her spine. The skin was reddened and just beginning to purple. "You're hurt."

"It's not that bad." She said, and turned the opposite way to shrug out of the inspection. "Actually I think he fixed the crick in my neck I got from sleeping on my couch earlier." She switched the beside lamp off, slid her feet under the blankets and laid down, only to suck in a breath at the pressure of her weight on the tender tissues.

An arm slid across her waist, the hand curled around her side and pulled her to face the older woman, and she sighed in relief. They stared at each other in the low light. "You don't know who the roses are from?"

"No. I thought they were from you."

Emma's eyes dropped to the slight rouching on the wide shoulder strap of her replacement nightgown, very similiar to the first only a darker shade, this one a royal blue. "Do you know where they came from? And were they delivered here or to your office?"

"They were left at my door on Monday last week."

Emma's voice was quieter this time. "You never said anything."

"I didn't know what to say, we hadn't... we were different then." Her voice had tightened defensively.

"You're right." Emma said, not only to placate the woman but because it was the truth. "It's strange, how much things have changed in just a few days. It's weird but I almost forgot what it was like before."

Regina's fingers stroked small circles at Emma's waist again over her tank-top. "What was it like before?"

"Torture." Emma simpered. "Not knowing if you felt the same way I did."

The older woman wriggled closer and their knees bumped together under the sheet. "Well, now you do." She closed the distance between them and pressed their lips together, and began teasingly lightly for a few moments before she increased the pressure. 

Emma hummed into the kiss, her hand rose up to Regina's cheek and she tucked her hair back behind her ear. The hum turned to a strangled groan as she pulled back and licked her lips.

"What's wrong?" Regina asked, her hand stilled and laid flat just above the curve of her waist.

Emma sighed. "I'm just... This... We were a bit up in the air in Storybrooke. Then you have this scare and I come running... But if this," she gestures between them, "is because I'm here to keep you safe, I just don't want you to think I expect that."

"Expect what exactly?" Emma winced at the coolness of her voice. "Me to leap into your big strong arms and call you my hero?" Regina huffed out a disbelieving laugh. "Don't you think if I was going to throw myself at a savior like some beholden damsel in distress, it would be at Mulan?"

"Ouch." She grumbled, though she was fairly sure that under Regina's surly exterior she was mostly just giving her a hard time.

Regina sighed and swallowed, and the tone of her husky voice softened. "I do want to talk about Storybrooke. And yes I do feel safer with you and Mulan here, but that's not why I'm... I want this, Emma. You."

Emma initiated the next kiss, soft and chaste. "I want this too." As she leaned back in, the hand at her waist pulled, rolling her slightly on top of the smaller woman below, and her lower leg extended to intertwine with Regina's. She slid her hand across Regina's flat stomach, around to her side, and slowly up her ribs. Her tongue eased against firm lips, which parted willingly for her. The hand at her waist slipped under her tank and around to the small of her back, and pulled her closer.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy! Still brain fuzzy, gah maybe it's this weather, it's too damn hot all the time and I can't sleep. Anyways, a heap of dialogue in this one and more fluff than my cat's latest furball, but the next one will be back into more action.

The distant sounds of a radio awoke Regina from her slumber, and though her entire body protested and wanted to return to sleep, she blinked and yawned, and took stock of her surroundings. The sliver of space around the blind covering the window she was facing showed the first hints of of pre-dawn lightening of the sky. She realized she wasn't in her own bed, and remembered falling asleep with Emma in the spare bedroom. Emma, whose buttocks were pressed up against her own as she faced the other way, lightly snoring.

With a sigh, she pulled back the blankets, and the cool air assisted her wake-up as she climbed out of bed with as little disruption as possible, and padded around the bed to go to her own room to turn off her morning alarm. There was a light on downstairs, and it's ambiance reached just far enough into the room to see that it wasn't Emma snoring, that Henry was snuggled in with his stuffed dog, Emma curled around him with an arm over him protectively and her nose buried in his hair.

Regina's heart ached with a mixture of emotions, and she was torn between fear of Henry slipping away from her, and the swell of hope that one day... She shook her head and licked her dry lips, and pulled the door closed until it just sat ajar as she left. In her own room she turned off her alarm, used the bathroom and brushed her teeth, and wrapped her robe around herself. She straightened the floor rug, picked up the framed photo of herself and Henry, and placed it back on the dresser for her to deal with later once she had bought a new frame.

Downstairs, Mulan was whisking something in a bowl, a number of ingredients on the counter, along with half a dozen apples from the overflowing bowl on the side-table. She was dressed now, a loose grey knitted sweater over her black tank, distressed jeans, though her feet were bare.

Mulan looked up at her and smiled guiltily. "Good morning. I didn't wake you, did I?"

Regina shook her head. "No, my alarm did. I didn't think to switch it off last night."

"Oh good. Well, not good. You know what I mean." An understanding smile passed between them. "Those two still dead to the world?" Regina quirked an eyebrow at her. "Sorry, I stuck my head in earlier to see if Emma was awake before I went down to her apartment to change. Anyway, I hope you don't mind me starting on breakfast. I couldn't sleep, and I already ate, but I figured I'd do something useful. Idle hands, and all that."

With a quick glance over the flour, soy milk, baking powder, cornstarch, salt and vanilla, and the texture of the mixture in the bowl the younger woman held, Regina took a guess. "Pancakes?"

"Yup. I was gonna let the mix sit while I stewed some apples to go with them. Did you want that bacon cooked up too?"

Regina walked over to the refrigerator. "May as well, I think we could all use comfort food today." She removed the bacon, then lined a baking tray and spread the bacon out on it, and placed it in the cold oven. "That'll only need about 20 or 25 minutes." 

She filled the coffee maker and switched it on, then took another peeler from the drawer and stood next to Mulan to peel the apples while Mulan cored and sliced them. "I'm sorry for spoiling your vacation with Emma." She begins to peel, her still-swollen knuckles aching a little.

"Don't be, it's been good having my mind occupied. I'm not really on vacation." Mulan sighed. "Rory's pregnant."

"Oh?" She placed another peeled apple on the chopping board, then paused. "Oh!"

"Yeah." 

"I'm sorry." She placed a hand on the taller woman's shoulder momentarily. "How long you will be in Boston for?"

"I haven't bought my ticket back yet. I just had to get out of there, you know?" Mulan asked, and Regina did. She recalled her first return to the stables after Daniel had died, the way her chest squeezed and vision blurred, and the weak feeling in her knees. She remembered the intense _need_ to be anywhere but there.

"She wants me to raise it with her." Mulan said quietly, snapping Regina out of her thoughts. "But the father is going to be around as well."

"I see." She started peeling another apple. "And you? What do you want?"

The younger woman sighed. "I like kids, but I'm afraid I'll look at it and all I'll feel is her betrayal. I don't want to get to know it and start to love it, only for it to make me feel this bad forever."

Regina's mind drifted back to her own son, and Emma's reluctance to tell him of his origins. She realized that all the while she had been afraid that Henry would favour Emma, she hadn't considered the possibility that he would be hurt. That their current relationship carried none of the weight of him seeing her as the woman who gave him away at birth.

She also considered the way the news had changed Emma's view of Henry, from a boy whose company she enjoyed and who idolized her, to a boy who reminded her of all the pain and guilt she felt giving him up for adoption all those years ago. This news would indeed change everything.

"It's a difficult situation." Was all she could think to reply. 

"What do you think?" Mulan asked, putting a little water in a pot with the chopped apples.

"It's not my place, and I don't know either of you well enough. Emma would be a better person to ask."

She squared off to face Regina. "Actually, I think she's too close to be objective. She lived with us, she was friends with both of us. I'd like to know your outsider opinion."

Regina set down the last apple on the chopping board and rinsed her hands. "I think that you didn't deserve to be cheated on, that once a cheater always a cheater, and that leaving her before the baby is born could be the best thing for both you and the baby, if that's what you're concerned about. You deserve better, and if you are to be a parent, you deserve to be a part of the process, or to enter into a relationship with someone who is already a parent and aware of their situation before you make your decision." She looked at the woman anxiously, trying to gauge if she had crossed a line.

Mulan swallowed and licked her lips. "I love you."

"Excuse me?"

"That's kinda what I've been feeling, but I felt like a bitch just letting go of seven years. Like I was being too harsh."

"One could argue that it wasn't you who let go of those seven years."

Mulan dropped her eyes to the floor, then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around a surprised Regina. "Thank you." She let go again just as fast, and turned to the pantry. "You have cinnamon in here somewhere, right?"

She had just pointed out where the spice was when there was a soft knock at the door. She tensed, and Mulan looked at her then at the clock on the wall. "You expecting anyone?"

"No." Regina ran her fingers through her hair and adjusted her robe, wrapping it around her a little tighter. She peered through the peep-hole and relaxed a little, then stood back and looked at the alarm, frowning a little seeing it disarmed before she remembered Mulan had helped her change the master pin number the night before, and had already been downstairs that morning.

She opened the door. "Hello, Sidney."

The tall man smiled. "Regina, I wasn't sure if you would be awake. I'm afraid I heard about the incident with Walter last night and I wanted to stop by on my way to work to express to you how sorry I am for having brought him here in the first place. I had no idea."

"I'm sure. How do you even know? It's only 7am."

Sidney scoffed. "The fool called me, thinking I would help him to get out of it. Of course I refused. I would however like to offer to you my support with anything you need. I'll help to get the restraining order fast-tracked, and if you feel unsafe at any time, you know, once he is out on bail, then I am more than willing to keep you company." He smiled earnestly. "I could also help you change your pin number for your alarm while I am here, I believe I recall how Walter did it."

"That won't be necessary, thank you Sidney."

He frowned. "You really should change your alarm code, Regina."

She sighed, the lack of sleep and his early interruption grating on her nerves. "My friend has already done so, and she and Emma have been keeping me and Henry safe." Mulan stuck her head around the corner and waved cockily. "They were, in fact, the pair that apprehended Walter."

Sidney tipped his head at Mulan and returned his gaze to Regina's face. "He mentioned that. Well, if you would like my assistance at any point, please don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you, Sidney. Now if you don't mind..." 

He stepped back. "Yes, of course. Sorry to interrupt. I'll see you at our meeting tomorrow?"

"Yes. Tomorrow, 1pm."

"How about we have that meeting over lunch? On me, to apologize about Walter."

She began closing the door, tension in her jaw. "Yes, fine. Goodbye, Sidney."

Regina leaned her back against the door after she closed it, and Mulan raised an eyebrow. " _He_ brought that douchebag here? You want me to kick his ass too?"

XxxxxxxxxX

Henry speared another piece of bacon with his fork and bit the end of it. "So when are you going to tell me what really happened last night?" 

The two women looked at each other, and Emma awkwardly adjusted the ice-pack held against the darkening bruise on her thigh which had prevented her from accompanying Mulan on her run. 

Regina cleared her throat. "Well, Henry, for a start he said that he thought we would still be away. He wasn't here to hurt us."

"What did he come for?"

Regina hesitated, and looked at Emma. "Well, kid, he was trying to be like a spy, but lucky for us, he's not a very good one."

Henry frowned. "What do you mean he was trying to be a spy?"

"He wanted to spy on your Mom." Emma spiked a piece of pancake and pointed it at Regina before sticking it in her mouth,

He looked back at his mother. "Because of your job? Was it government stuff? Is he CIA?"

She smiled at him and stroked his hair. "He didn't say why, but it could be. But I don't think he's CIA."

"Will he come back?"

"Today I'll be getting a restraining order against him which will mean if he comes close to either of us he will be arrested for violating it. So no, I don't think he'll be back."

"He got caught, kid. He knows he can't be a good spy when his cover is blown."

"Will they send someone else?"

"He was a rogue, working alone. Plus I know who he is now, and I'll will make sure he knows it will be a very bad idea if he does."

Henry brightened. "Are you going to beat him up?"

"No." Regina interjects. "Violence is a last resort."

He looked at Emma, who nodded seriously. "Yep. Your mom is going to keep you safe and I'm going to keep your mom safe. Everything is going to be fine."

"Who is going to keep you safe?" He asked.

Emma smiled. "No one is interested in me so I am safe. But anyway, I can look after myself. I always have." She tried hard to believe in that again herself, after her dismal, emotionally-clouded attack on Walter the night before.

"Will you teach me some more fighting stuff, so I can look after myself too?"

"Sure, kid." She grinned.

"Good." He pokes at his breakfast with his fork. "You won't leave us?"

Emma swallowed. "No, of course not." He didn't look up at her. "Henry, I told you. I'm not going anywhere."

"What happened in Storybrooke that made you want to leave there?"

Regina laid down her cutlery and spoke softly to her son. "Henry, remember what we talked about? People come to us when they're ready to talk. We shouldn't force them."

He looked up at his mom, then at Emma. "Sorry."

With a deep breath, a gulp, and a silent conversation with Regina across the table who nodded her assent, she spoke. "It's okay, Henry. It's something you should know anyway, I've just been trying to figure out how to tell you." His hazel eyes bored into her and she fought against her instinct to run. "You see, Hen, you know how I was adopted? Well Mr Gold arranged it way back then, and even though it ended up not working out he apparently still followed what was happening with me and where I was as I grew up.

"And you know how your mom adopted you? Well he helped her by finding you, so that she could give you a much better life than you would have had." She licked her lips and glanced at Regina before continuing. "Well you see, what neither of us knew until Saturday was that he knew that I got pregnant when I was very young, and he wanted to make sure my baby was taken good care of because I couldn't."

Henry's mouth was wide open, and he looked between the women. "You're my real mom?"

Emma shook her head. "Your mom is your real mom, but yes, I gave birth to you."

"You..." He swallowed. "You found out and you wanted to leave?"

"Oh, Henry. I didn't want to leave you, no. But giving you up all those years ago was the hardest thing I ever had to do, and all those memories and feelings came back to me in a rush. I just needed to get used to the idea that I already knew my kid. But once I realized that you'd had the life I always hoped you'd get, and that you'd grown up so well with a mom who loves you so much, and that you're such a cool kid," she gave him a lopsided grin, "I got past the surprise of it."

Henry stared at the food on his plate, and Regina rubbed his back. "Are you okay, honey?"

"Yeah." He said softly. "I'm okay." He looked up at Emma. "Why didn't you keep me?"

Emma struggled to keep her face from crumbling. "I wanted to, Henry. I really did. But I had no one and not a cent to my name. Everything I owned I could carry in my backpack. I had nowhere to live and I was so young. I was only seven years older than you are now. Actually maybe that seems like a lot to you, but it's not. I was just a kid myself. I wanted you to have everything I never had. A real family, and you got that. Your mom gave you everything I hoped you'd have." She quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled brightly at him.

"Did you ever think about me?"

"Every day, Henry. Lots of times a day. Even more since I met you because I knew you were about the same age. I wondered all the time about how you were and who you had become, and meanwhile I was getting to know this really awesome kid."

"Did you want to be my mom before you knew you already were?"

Emma looked at Regina, her eyes wide, then back to Henry. "Uhh, well, no. Your mom was your mom."

"But aren't you two dating now?"

Green eyes sent a pleading look to Regina, who finally stepped in. "Would that bother you?"

Henry looked to his mother. "No. I like Emma. It would be cool. I'd have both my moms."

Pink flushed across Regina's cheeks, the opposite of Emma who had gone even paler than usual. "Henry, even if we were dating it wouldn't necessarily mean we would be together forever. Relationships don't always work out, even if the people really like each other."

"But you _do_ really like each other. It will work out, I believe in you. In both of you."

"No pressure." Emma mumbled under her breath.

Regina pulled the boy into her and kissed the top of his head. "I love you, my little prince." She rested her cheek on the top of his head and looked at Emma across the table, her dark eyes moist and she wore the softest expression Emma had seen on her. "Now, are you still eating or just pushing that around your plate?"

He puffed out his cheeks. "I'm so full."

"Alright, run upstairs and shower. Just because I'm letting you stay home from school today doesn't mean you can sit around in your pyjamas all day." 

He stood up and rubbed his round belly, and he waddled around the table to Emma. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he ended up just throwing himself forward into her chest, her arms instinctively wrapping around him. Emma smiled into his hair, her eyes fixed on Regina.

Henry grinned, and Regina began collecting plates as he ran upstairs.

"Well that was weird, talking with a ten year old about dating his mom." Emma stuffed the last of her own pancake in her mouth and followed Regina to the kitchen with her plate and the bottle of maple syrup. "Especially when we hadn't even talked about it first."

"Yes, well, nothing seems to be going to plan ever since you arrived into my life." She looked up from the dishwasher to the blonde's crestfallen face. She smiled and kissed the corner of her mouth, then licked her lips. "Mmm. Sticky." 

Emma glanced up the stairs, and taking the opportunity of being alone, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Regina's waist. Her tongue darted out to lick away the syrup. "Mmm. Sweet. But not as sweet as you." She leaned in and pressed a kiss to Regina's smiling lips.


	34. Chapter 34

"I've done a full sweep up to 36 gigahertz for electronic bugs and any kind of electro-magnetic transmitting devices, video, and data signals and you're all good. Can't do much about laser microphones, but we ran through those precautions earlier. I've checked your home phone and your and Henry's cellphones, they're fine just keep them on you at all times. As I mentioned earlier, your car is clean, no GPS tracking devices." 

The large man tipped up the brim of his blue NY Giants cap and fished around in his pocket. "Here's the four keys for the deadlock, four keys for the door lock, your two for the french door bolts, keyed alike to the handle lock. I dunno if you believe in it or not," he pointed to the attached small, orange, bean-shaped keyring, "but that's amber, used extensively by the ancient Romans for protection."

Regina ran her fingers over the smooth surface. "Thank you."

He cleared his throat. "Here is your pepper spray and a pack of wipes. Try to get it as far away from you as you can before you deploy, or at least aim away from you as much as you can. You're still likely to get affected by it so remember, don't touch your face, blink rapidly to flush your eyes, and use the wipes or at least wash your face with any kind of soap. Do you or your kid have asthma?" 

She shook her head. "No."

"Good. Pepper spray can trigger an attack. You applied for your FID card this morning when you went for the 209A, yeah? So if anyone asks you got that next week from Arlo's Big Guns up in Winchester. I know you said you weren't keen on a stun gun, and they are illegal here in Massachusetts, but they're not in Maine. I can get you one on the down-low if you like, or you can get one next time you're up that way. But get this one to show you some more hand to hand moves as well." He elbows the blonde standing next to him. "Just in case you can't get to your weapon." He grinned down at his friend. "Keep your guard up next time though, Scarface."

"Shut up, Tiny." Emma grumbled, and gave the big guy a playful shove which only resulted in pushing herself slightly off balance.

"Talk to your office security, make sure they have a picture of the guy." He pulled out his wallet and drew two business cards out and handed them to. "Here's my card, and here's my brother Guy." Anton glanced toward the living area and lowered his voice. "He runs a personal security company and will protect you and your boy if shi--pardon, if things get serious."

She ran her fingers over the embossed diamonds on the Argyle Services card. "Thank you, Anton. You have no idea how grateful I am. How much do I owe you?"

"It's all good, Ms Mills. I'll send you a bill for the hardware but my time is on me since you took your little lady away for Thanksgiving and she gave me her jumpers. I raked in a packet." 

Regina looked confusedly at Emma. "She did?"

"Yep. Anyway, I'll leave you ladies to it. If you want me to re-check your car or your phones or anything at any time I'd be happy to. You have my number." He waved casually to Mulan. "Catchya later, little dude." He said to Henry, then picked up his toolbox and canvas bag and departed through the door Emma held open for him.

"What did he mean when he said you gave him your jumpers?" Regina asked after the door closed.

Emma sighed. "My open cases. He had free reign on my desk."

"That's a good thing?"

"In our line of work, yeah. People go home at Thanksgiving, same as Christmas. It's like catching fish in a barrel sometimes. I normally work it because there's always people who want time off, so I've made plenty from it in the past. He had a good run too, but it was worth it for me to have my first Thanksgiving with family." She wrapped her arms around Regina's waist and pulled her closer. "I mean, just think. Right now I could still be wondering if you were ever going to kiss me."

Regina smiled and nuzzled her nose against the shorter, barefooted woman's. "Oh, it's like that, is it? All up to me to move this along? Well, maybe I'll have to keep you wondering." She ghosted her lips over Emma's, barely touching them at all, and then pulled harshly away and out of the blonde's loose hold. "Henry, Mulan, would you like pizza for dinner?"

XxxxxxxxxX

"Regina! So glad you could make it." Sidney stood and moved towards her as she approached. He placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned in to kiss her cheek, her jaw muscle tightened under his lips, the scent of his cologne, delicate earthy with notes of citrus and spice, wafted in the air between them.

"Sidney." She replied, and swallowed down her discomfort at the overly familiar gesture. She sat on the chair he pulled out for her at the restaurant he had chosen for their lunch meeting. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." He took his seat opposite her. "How are you today?"

"Fine, thank you." She took the menu that the waiter had arrived with and ordered a club soda with lime.

His brow furrowed in patronizing concern. "Are you sure you are fine, Regina? You've had a traumatic experience. It is normal to have trouble sleeping, concentrating-" 

Regina sighed heavily. "I am fine, Sidney."

"Mr Gold asked me to look out for you-"

"He did what?" She scowled.

"Regina, please. He and I have known each other for many years, it was merely a casual request to assist in your transition."

She huffed. "Well in that case you can also tell Mr Gold that I am fine."

"You have Miss Swan, and... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your other friend's name."

"That would be because I didn't give it to you. Can we please order our lunch and begin the meeting? I have another at two-thirty." She unfolded her napkin and placed it across her lap.

He leaned back in his chair and did the same. "Of course. My apologies." With a raised hand he summoned the waiter.

XxxxxxxxxX

The plump, middle-aged lady behind the photo counter at the department store smiled as Emma stepped up and laid a shopping bag on the counter. She pulled out a newspaper-wrapped parcel. "I was hoping you could help me with this." The woman watched from beneath her strawberry-blonde bangs as Emma tore off the tape and revealed the smashed glass of the picture frame within.

"Oh dear." The woman said, putting on the half-spectacles that hung on a chain around her neck. "What do we have here?"

"It was knocked onto the floor, the glass has cut the photograph a little by the looks of it, but it's a little bit stuck and I didn't want to do more damage trying to remove it from the frame." She smiled at the older lady. Her eyes flicked down to the name-tag pinned to her smock.

Johanna turned the picture towards herself. "Ah yes, I see. I should be able to digitally fix that and re-print it. Would you like it re-framed as well?"

"Yeah, can you do something as close to that as you can?" She pointed at the broken frame.

Blue eyes met her own. "Of course, love. No problem at all. Lovely family. Yours?"

"Uhh, yeah." No matter how she could think to say it, it still sounded like something foreign to her. As though she had woken up in somebody else's life, and it wasn't just a matter of days since her first kiss with Regina. Since she found out she was already in her long-lost son's life. She decided to try it on for size to see how it fit. "My kid and his mom."

Johanna seemed to bloom, her knowing smile could have been smug yet there was a tenderness in her. "Beautiful." She peeled a sticker off the bottom of a pad of forms and slid it across the counter to Emma. "Here, fill your details out on this and I'll call you when it's ready." She placed the sticker on the back of the damaged photo.

Emma completed the first part and then hesitated. "Would it be possible to get a wallet-sized print as well?" 

Johanna showed her where to mark her requirements then smiled cheerfully at her. "Have a lovely day, Emma!"

"Thanks, you too." She said, and tucked her copy of the form into the breast pocket of her denim jacket. Her step faltered when she realised Mulan wasn't hanging around nearby. She hunted around for a bit, then pulled her phone from her pocket. Scrolling through her contacts for her friend, she felt something jab her in the back. 

"There is only one god, and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to death; not today."

Emma turned slowly, already rolling her eyes, and found Mulan in an exaggerated fencing pose, back leg outstretched and forward arm extended, the tip of a plastic sword dragging against Emma's clothing. She slowly shook her head back and forth disapprovingly and tsked. "I can't take you anywhere. Come on, yesterday was quiet but we have things to do before I start getting the paperwork on the jumpers who didn't show up to court on Monday, we don't have time." 

Her friend narrowed her eyes and threw the second sword at her, handle first, with a flick of her back wrist. "My name is Inigo Montoya." Emma huffed out an amused breath, stepped back and extended the sword, and finished the sentence in unison with Mulan. "You killed my father. Prepare to die."

They parried for no more than 30 seconds before an announcement came over the PA requesting security in area G. They had no idea which area they were in but composed themselves and ducked back down into one of the toys aisles before they burst into girlish giggles. "Where did you get these from?"

"Does it matter? You're buying them."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "I am?"

"Yup. Christmas is coming up, in case you forgot. It's December tomorrow. Gotta get your kid something." The blonde's heart sank as she realised she hadn't even thought about the upcoming holiday season. She had never really had anyone other than Mulan and Rory to spend the holidays with, and they had never worried much about presents.

"Shit." She scratched her ear and ran her fingers through her hair. She looked over at Mulan waving both swords around. "You're going to bust those out to play with him before Christmas, aren't you."

"Yup." Mulan said again. "You'd better get him something else too."

Emma gazed up at the wall of toys and groaned.

XxxxxxxxxX

The cold wind zipped around the pair as they reached the top of the stairs leading into the plaza at the front of City Hall. They walked briskly towards the entrance, when a teenage boy jogging back out towards the street stepped around a pillar and almost collided with Mulan. 

"Sorry!" He called out as he regained his footing.

Mulan chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

She shook her head. "Stupid puns." She started whistling a familiar tune that Emma couldn't quite put her finger on. 

The man behind the information desk pointed them in the direction of Regina's office, and they followed his instructions, somehow without getting lost in the large building. They finally reached Room 968 and Mulan held the door open for Emma as they stepped into the semi-open-plan area. A young black woman, her long hair tied back in a bun and classy, expensive looking clothes smiled at them. "May I help you?"

Emma glanced around through into the glass walled office with the hope of spotting Regina. "Uhh, yeah. We're here to see Regina Mills."

"Ms Mills is currently in a meeting. It's run a little overtime, but if you would like to take a seat," she gestured to the four small armchairs tucked into the corner of the room, "she shouldn't be too long."

The women were about to sit down when the door opened again and a stream of men and a few women walked through. "Ms Mills!" The receptionist called out. Regina stopped. "You just received a delivery, which I put on your desk." She smiled widely. "You also have someone here to see you."

Regina turned, and Emma and Mulan smiled at her, though she herself looked tense. "Hi." 

"Hey. We brought your lunch." Emma held up the brown paper bag she was holding. 

"Thank you so much. I'm starving." She gestured for them to follow her, and she swiped her tag to unlock the door into the office. "There were technical problems with the conference call and the whole meeting was delayed. Honestly, the inability to keep up with simple advances in technology..."

They followed Regina to her desk. It wasn't quite an office, but the cubicle walls were high and the neighbouring desk was clear of any personal items and appeared to be unoccupied. Atop her own desk, however, was another bouquet of a dozen red roses. She looked at Emma whose frown wrinkled deep across her forehead.

"Hey, wasn't me. Again."

They spun the bouquet around but there was again no note, and no indication of where they were from. 

Mulan scoffed. "Call your receptionist, ask if it was a teenage kid in a green polo shirt who dropped them off." Regina looked confused but did so, and confirmed Mulan's suspicion. 

Emma looked at her incredulously. "How did you even..."

She looked up from digging into the lunch bag, her hand emerged with a katsu curry. "That stupid pun I laughed at. Kid who nearly walked into me had a flower shop logo on his shirt, and we walked past the delivery van in the loading zone. Game of Thorns."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "I knew I knew that song you were whistling."

"Eat up, Regina." Mulan said, a forkful of curry already in her mouth. "And don't worry, we'll go there this afternoon and find out who your secret admirer is."

Emma handed her the container of teriyaki chicken and smiled. "Yeah, then I'll go and sort out the competition."

Regina took the offered food. "Well, maybe you could get a few tips first. Flowers are generally a good start when you're trying to woo a woman."

Behind them, from her perch atop the empty desk, Mulan coughed and chortled. 

Emma scowled. "Maybe they can teach me how to watch from afar and creep people out as well."

The brunette looked around her then reached out and tugged at the front of Emma's jacket, pulling her forward. She pressed a quick kiss to her lips, then pushed her back. "Fair point. Not that I'm a prize to be won or fought over, mind you, but I'd still choose you."


	35. Chapter 35

"She said she already talked to him. She's gonna kill you for going behind her back." Mulan raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips.

Emma shrugged her shoulder. "I'm not going behind her back, I'm providing him with more information. There's a difference." She sat back in the chair of the small meeting room.

A tall, muscular man entered and closed the door behind him, the white teeth visible through his broad smile contrasted with his dark skin, and in his well-fitted dark suit it was only his wired earpiece that separated him from looking like any other government employee. He offered his large hand to Emma. "I'm Lance Elliot, Head of Security. You wanted to see me?"

She shook his hand. "Mr Elliot. Yes. Emma Swan. I believe you have already spoken with Regina Mills regarding her situation."

The man moved past Emma and shook Mulan's hand also, although she didn't offer her name. He took a seat opposite Emma at the table. "I have."

"Yes, well the man in question, Walter Kalmak was released on bail this morning, and my colleague took this photo of him." Emma pulled her phone out of her pocket, tapped a few buttons and held the phone up to the somewhat disinterested man. "If you give me your email address I will send it to you and if you could please distribute it to your staff with an instruction that they can prevent him from entering the building and to call the police to arrest him for violation of a restraining order."

Mr Elliot nodded slowly, and leaned back, his elbows on the armrests and fingers peaked in front of him. "Miss Swan, I would be happy to assist, of course, but so you are aware, our resources are unable to extend to include personal security for individual employees. It's just not possible."

Emma fought her rising blood pressure and licked her lips. "Look, Lance. The stalking laws haven't caught up to the shit that people are doing these days and the cops can only do what they can do. Which is basically nothing until the stalker assaults or kills their victim. All I'm asking is that you keep an eye out for this creep and react swiftly to protect one of the people that it is your job to protect should he show up here. I'm doing all I can to protect her and her son out there, but in here... I need your help."

They eyed each other across the table for a long moment. Mr Elliot sucked briefly on his top lip, then reached into the breast pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a business card which he handed to the blonde. "Email me that photo."

He stood to leave, but with his hand on the doorknob he paused. "I will do what I can, Miss Swan." His expression was softer around his eyes, and he tipped his head slightly as he left.

"Thank you." She said to his retreating form, and sighed. 

Mulan quirked an eyebrow at her. "That went well."

"No one takes this fucking shit seriously enough." Emma stood abruptly and stepped out to leave the room, Mulan trailing behind.

XxxxxxxxxX

The bell over the door rang and the women stepped into the shop. The bright room had shelves almost like bleachers, filled with tall buckets, each bucket filled with all different kinds of flowers, almost floor to ceiling.

"Ah shit." Mulan muttered.

Emma turned back to see her friend pinching her nose. "What?"

Mulan waved her other hand in a 'nevermind' motion, and they continued to the counter where a tubby, jovial looking man with short, curly blonde hair and a receding hairline greeted them with a cheery smile and an Australian accent. He wore the same type of polo shirt the delivery boy had, although his had the name 'Moe' embroidered on it. "Welcome to Game of Thorns. How can I help?"

"Hey," Emma greeted, "I was hop-" 

Mulan sneezed loudly. "Sorry."

"I was hoping," she continued, "that you could help me with a delivery that you arranged this morning." The man frowned slightly. "Red roses, delivered to Regina Mills at City Hall."

Emma saw the recognition in his eyes. "I'm afraid I can't help you there, little lady. My customers receive the benefit of my discretion." He smiled patronizingly, and for the second time in an hour she felt her blood begin to boil.

She stepped forward and placed her gloved hands flat on the counter, her eyes narrowing and jaw tightening. "Yeah, well you see Ms Mills has a stalker and a restraining order, and if you're assisting in his harassment of her, your discretion is going to do far more harm than good."

The smile dropped from his face and he stood a little straighter. "I see. Look, don't take this the wrong way, love, because I want to help you, but do you have anything to prove what you're saying? For all I know you could be the jilted, jealous ex."

Mulan sneezed again and Emma's eye twitched. "I don't have a copy of the restraining order on me, but if you'd like to see the bruises all over my back from the fight I had with the guy when he broke into her apartment while she and her son were sleeping, I can show you them." His eyes widened. "But for now, maybe you can help in so far as to tell me whether this man," she held up her phone with the photo of Walter on the screen, "was the man who ordered those roses."

He reached under the counter for a pair of reading glasses, then looked down his nose at the phone screen. "No, that's not him."

Emma frowned, genuinely surprised. "It isn't?"

He shook his head vigorously. "No, definitely not. This man was middle-aged, black, well dressed."

A choked, nasal voice spoke up behind Emma. "Short, curly hair, greying at the temples, little frameless glasses?"

Moe nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like him. Very friendly. Paid in cash. He was in before Thanksgiving as well, same order but different address, if I remember correctly."

The blonde turned to her friend. "Who is it?"

"The police dude that did the first security thing with Walter." Mulan said, still pinching her nose. "Saw him when he stopped by the apartment Monday morning."

Emma's mouth dropped open. "Sidney Glass?" Mulan nodded.

Moe reached towards her, a box of kleenex in his hand. "Take some tissues, love." 

Mulan tugged a bunch of them and thanked him, then retreated for the door but not before pointing at Emma. "Get her some flowers while you're here."

She turned back toward the counter. "If he comes in again, could you take his order like nothing's happened, but call me before delivering anything to Regina?" She picked up the pen from next to the till and wrote her number on the top sheet of paper of his desk pad.

Moe tore off the corner of the sheet, folded it carefully and slipped it into his breast pocket. "Yes, love. I will. So this guy isn't who you thought it was?"

Emma shook her head. "No, but he's the connection between her and the guy who broke into her apartment." She turned to look at the wall of flowers nearest to her. "I'm just hoping like hell he's a socially inept loser with a crush and not in on the sick shit with his buddy. If he hurts her, I'll kill him."

The older man rounded the counter and adjusted a few of the flowers in some of the buckets. "Here's hoping. My daughter had some, uhh, unwanted attention I guess you could say a few years ago. Bloody bastard chased her til she had to move back to her mum in Australia to get away from him." He looked across at the blonde. "A big part of me still wants to kill him."

She grunted in an almost companionable way. "That sucks. I'm sorry." Her hands slid into her back pockets and she sighed. "Lilies. Can I get some lilies please?"

XxxxxxxxxX

The keys flew through the air, plucked out of their trajectory at the last moment by slender, tan fingers. "Jesus! Throw them a little harder at my face next time why don't you?" Mulan grumbled.

"Sorry." The pair approached Emma's Beetle, Emma hanging back while Mulan climbed into the driver's seat and adjusted the mirror. "You can find your way to Henry's school?" She handed over the bunch of flowers, and Mulan twisted to put them on the back seat.

"Yeah, I'll use the GPS on my phone. See you at home." Mulan fired up the bug only for it to sputter and die. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Swan. I'm out of practice driving your drunk ass around in this piece of junk." She scowled as she turned the key again and revved the engine hard. It lurched away from the kerb where Emma chuckled and waved from, and bunny hopped down the street until her friend changed to second gear.

She walked back up the street towards City Hall and pulled her phone from her pocket.

_"Hi."_

"Hey. Do you have a sec to talk?"

 _"Yes, just a minute."_ There was a muffled noise and the creaking of a door. _"Alright, Emma. Go ahead."_

Emma drew a breath. "Mulan's on her way to pick Henry up from school, she's gonna take him to my place to do his homework." She swallowed. "The, umm, the flowers. They're not from Walter. They're from Sidney."

_"Sidney?"_

"Yeah. We showed the florist the photo of Walter and he said it was an older black guy and Mulan recognized the description. Greying hair, frameless glasses, well dressed."

Regina exhaled heavily.

"I'm a bit worried they're in cahoots, Regina."

_"I doubt it. He has been overly attentive so I can't say I'm surprised."_

"You didn't tell me."

_"No, I believed I could handle him without you charging in to my rescue. I'm not completely helpless, Miss Swan."_

"That's not what I meant."

Regina sighed. _"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. Like I said, I thought the flowers were from you, and although I thought of him when you said they weren't, Walter broke in that night and I guess I assumed then that they were from him. Then to receive more today right after he's released on bail-"_

"You didn't call the cops about the flowers yet, have you?"

_"No, I was waiting for your confirmation they were indeed from Walter before reporting the violation."_

"Good. So, the Sidney thing..." 

_"We'll talk about it tonight."_

Emma looked up at City Hall as she walked past, though she knew she wouldn't be able to see Regina. "Alright. I'm just walking back to work now to take care of a few things. Call me when you're leaving and I'll wait for you at the corner?"

_"I will. Bye, Emma."_

The brisk walk to Salem Street was too short for her to really clear her head, but it felt good to stretch her sore leg. 

The stiff wind caught the door as she opened it, and flung it wide into the door stop against the wall with a bang. The receptionist clutched at her chest. "Emma! You startled me."

"Sorry Glenda." She said with an apologetic grimace.

"Oh it's alright, honey." The other blonde drawled. "Dang door has been doing that all day but it gets me every time!" She smiled warmly. "It's good to see you, you haven't been around much. Busy?"

"Uhh, yeah. I've had some stuff." Emma slid her hands into her back pockets again and rocked back on her heels. "Hey is Abe around?"

The receptionist-slash-PA leaned back in her chair and peered around the corner. "Abe? You busy?" 

"Depends." A gruff voice replied.

Glenda rolled her eyes. "Don't mind him. Go on in, honey."

Emma smiled and stepped cautiously into her boss' office. "Hey Abe."

The big man swivelled in his chair. "Swan! Come in."

She closed the door behind her, smiling again at the disappointed Glenda who had tried to appear as though she weren't listening. She sat down in one of the uncomfortable visitor's chairs in front of his desk, and crossed her leg with her ankle resting on her knee.

"Tiny told me about your lady friend's problem. I presume that's why we've hardly seen you this week?"

Emma tried to maintain eye-contact, because although Abe was quite friendly to her, she'd seen him go off at both Tiny and Eric at different times and there was a part of her that always wanted to stay as far from hot-tempered men as she could. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. It's been a bit crazy."

"Yeah, look, the guys have covered the workload alright but next time just give me a bit more heads up about what's going on, okay?" His tone was firm but not angry, and the knot in her chest loosened.

"Sorry, Abe. I will." He leaned back in his chair. She sucked in a breath. "I know it's bad form to leave you out of the loop and then ask you a favour, but I could really do with your help on something."

"Oh yeah? What's that." He sounded guarded, and Emma hoped she wasn't pushing her luck too far, but she didn't have too many options in Boston since she'd only been there a few months.

"Tiny said you had contacts in the police, and, well it's a sensitive thing but I just found out that the police PR guy that my friend knows who introduced her to the guy who broke into her place has been sending her flowers. I just get a bad vibe about it, and she said he's been weird with her. I don't want him to know-"

"Swan, I can tell you right off the bat that the cops I know hate that Glass motherfucker. Say he's a smarmy, slimy bastard who talks his way in and out of everything, which I guess is why he ended up fronting their spin team."

She exhaled in relief. "Good. I was worried he was going to be some revered hero that could do no wrong. I'm gonna be keeping an eye on him for a while, though I'll try to not let it affect my work, of course, but if you were able to make some enquiries through unofficial channels about any known connection between him and Walter Kalmak it would really help me out."

"Sure, Swan. No problem." He leaned forward and reached for his pen. "What was that Walter guy's surname again?"

"K A L M A K." She spelled out.

"Got it." He put down his pen and watched as she stood. "He was the one they arrested?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Abe."

He smiled. "No problem, little lady." She made a move toward the door. "Hey, Swan? Are you gonna bring _your_ little lady to the Christmas party?"


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little Friday night interlude.  
> Diabetes warning: it's pretty sweet.  
> Install your lint filter: it's also pretty fluffy.

The smell of popcorn wafted through the air, and giggles erupted from the living room where a newly showered and pyjama young boy was play-wrestling an also-pyjama clad Mulan.

"Mom!" He cried out, in between fits of breathless laughter. "She's cheating!" More giggles. "She's ti... Tickling me!"

Regina strolled toward the sofa and placed the two bowls of popcorn on the coffee table, one salted, and one lightly salted with an even lighter dusting of confectioners' sugar in a compromise with Emma's request that her sweet tooth be satiated with caramel popcorn.

"Mulan if you cause my son to wet himself on my sofa, consider yourself having bought it." There was just enough of an edge to her voice for the younger woman to halt her attack on the boy. He clutched at his stomach as he attempted to catch his breath.

The front door swung open and Emma entered with a couple of DVD cases in hand. She twisted the door handle lock behind her and turned the key on the deadlock, then pressed the button on the keyring to arm the door.

"What did you get?" Henry asked, kneeling on the couch cushion, leaning over the back to watch his birth mother grab a beer from the refrigerator.

"Well I brought Where The Wild Things Are too in case you didn't like the one I chose." She unzipped her boots and stood them against the wall in the foyer. "But here, this is one of my favourite movies." She handed him the two cases, her favourite on top.

"Daryl?" I haven't even heard about this one.

Emma laughed softly. "It's a bit before your time, kid. It's only two years younger than I am."

"That old?!" He exclaimed cheekily, and she swatted at the back of his head as she rounded the couch. Regina patted the seat next to her, already having claimed the corner. Emma sat, and Regina tucked her feet up and under Emma's thigh for warmth.

Henry knelt in front of the entertainment unit and slid the disc into the player. He studied the picture of the young boy on the case cover, hand on a joystick and an oversized helmet on his head. "He can't be kept a secret any longer." He read aloud, then flipped over to read the back. His lips moved silently as he skimmed the description, and his voice comes in near the end. "Real parents?" He looked up at his birth mother. "He's adopted too?"

"No spoilers, kid." She patted the seat next to her, between herself and Mulan, then reached forward for one of the bowls of popcorn.

She looked at it intently. "You didn't put sugar on it?"

Regina reached out and took a small handful. "On one of the bowls. Must have been the other one." She popped a few pieces of popcorn in her mouth and frowned at the unusual but not unpleasant combination of sweet and salty. "No," she said, her mouth still full, "it's that one."

The blonde grinned at her. "Good, huh?"

An uneven frown struggled to stay put. "It's... not as bad as I expected." She watched as Emma shoved a handful into her mouth and a piece fell into her lap. She picked it up and put it in her own mouth. "It's still not healthy."

Regina dimmed the lights with the remote and Henry and Emma shared the sweetened popcorn while the movie played, and Mulan and Regina passed the salted between them.

Henry watched enthralled at car being chased by a helicopter at high speed through the forest, and struggled as Emma covered his eyes, though given the sound effects he knew what happened to the car. She slid her hand into Regina's at the group home scene, and interlocked their fingers. Everyone laughed at the introduction of Turtle. He was equally horrified and amused at the ancient graphics of the computer game that Daryl and Turtle played. Regina pointed out the model of car that Daniel had when she met him.

Henry tugged at Emma's arm. "We should get walkie talkies so when you're in your apartment we can still talk!"

A short time later he piped up again. "Do you play baseball?" He asked without taking his eyes off the screen.

Emma assumed he was talking to her again. "Not very well. Mulan does sometimes though."

Regina's fingers drummed on her knee as Daryl played the piano, then stilled again as the Richardsons found out about his real parents. Emma interlocked their fingers again and softly squeezed.

Even Mulan surreptitiously wiped a tear from her cheek towards the end of the film, and right at the very end Emma grabbed Henry and dragged him across her lap to be tackle-hugged by both his mothers. Mulan huffed, then piled on top as well and they all giggled.

Regina switched off the TV and placed the popcorn bowls in the dishwasher while Emma placed her beer bottle in the recycling and rinsed all their cocoa mugs. Henry walked sleepily into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around his mother's waist, though he looked at his birth mother.

"Daryl called Joyce 'Ma'. That's like Emma but shorter." Emma smiled at him. "Should I call you Ma?"

A meaningful glance passed between the women and Emma swallowed. "You can call me whatever you like, kid. Ma is fine, if that's what you like." She reached out and ruffled his hair, trying to keep it casual although her heart was racing.

"I like it. It's kinda your name, it's kinda... mom-ish." He grinned, then sobered and looked up at Regina. "Is that okay, Mom?"

His mother smiled sweetly. "Of course, my little prince." His wide smile returned. "Now run along and hop into bed, I'll come and tuck you in shortly."

"Don't call me shortly." He joked as he ascended the stairs.

Emma pointed a finger at him and tried to keep a straight face. "Don't sass your Mom, Henry."

The boy rolled his eyes, still grinning. "Yes, Ma. Sorry, Mom."

Emma looked at the brunette. "You raised him."

"The smart-ass gene must be genetic." Regina scowled half-heartedly.

"That doesn't necessarily mean he got it from me." She countered with false hurt, and flopped down onto the sofa.

"Yeah, but you forget we know you, Em." Mulan teased.

"Isn't it past your bedtime too, grandma?"

Mulan rolled her eyes. "Yeah well some of us get up at the crack to go running while others stay tucked up in bed like actual grandmas so watch yourself."

Emma pulled a face at Regina. "I think she just called you old."

The younger brunette's eyes widened. "Oh you bitch." She turned to Regina. "You know that's not what I mean, I was only giving Emma shit."

"I am six years older than her though, if you start throwing age insults around I am going to bite back." She raised an eyebrow at Emma. "Although if you poke fun at her maturity level, I may join you."

Mulan cackled. "Excellent. Alrighty, ladies. I'm off to bed. G'night."

Emma and Regina chimed in response. "Goodnight, dear." "Night."

Regina licked her lips and waited until Mulan had disappeared into the guest bedroom. "Would you tell me about Henry's father? Sometime, I mean. It doesn't have to be right now."

The blonde shrugged. "He was just a guy who gave me a ride from Chicago. He got arrested in Salt Lake and he tried to sell me down the river and said I stole the car. Somehow I managed to score a half decent public defender who proved me innocent."

The brunette sat down next to her and took her hand. "What was his name?"

"Neal Cassidy. The guy, I mean. Not the public defender. I presume that's who you meant." She winked.

Regina closed her eyes and sighed with a smile. "How old was he?"

"Thirty-ish, I think? He made me guess and I said 28, he said he'd go with that so I don't know exactly."

"Did he know how young you were?"

"Yeah."

"Creep."

Emma chuckled. "Yeah."

"Thank you. For telling me." Regina squeezed her hand and held back the million other questions she wasn't sure she wanted answers to. She closed her eyes momentarily and let her head drop back against the cushion. "I enjoyed your film tonight."

"It's one of my favourites."

"So you said." Regina opened her eyes and fixed them on the blonde. "You identified with it?" 

Emma paused before answering. "Yeah. I sort of did, but I didn't find anyone like the Richardsons until I was a lot older, but I screwed up big time and that's when I ran away. But in all those homes before, with all those foster parents I hoped wanted to keep me, I tried to be perfect. I was like Daryl, ironing my own clothes, making breakfasts and lunches for my foster siblings, but I could never keep it up forever. Some jerk bully would tease me or one of the younger kids and I'd get into a fight, or I'd have a really bad nightmare, or even just get the flu or something stupid and I'd find myself back in a group home.

"Sometimes I'd pretend to be like him, that there was something special or unique about me that would make them love me. I'm not a genius though, and I wasn't good at sports." She gives a short laugh. "I didn't even know my eyesight was so bad until I was finally tested as a teenager. I wasn't happy about having to wear these big ugly glasses at first, but I'll never forget being driven away from the clinic and seeing all the leaves on the trees. I had forgotten that was possible."

"It's amazing what you forget is possible, when you've been deprived of it for so long." She traced patterns over the back of Emma's hand with her fingertips. "Will you tell me about your Richardsons?" 

Emma smiled softly. "Yeah. The Lucases. I actually found them again by accident the same day I met David. When Ruby's mom died Granny took in Ruby."

"Oh, this is the girl you went to Storybrooke with the first time?"

She nodded. "Yeah, that's her. Ruby had been put in foster care while they tracked Granny down, apparently she and Ruby's mom were estranged, and when Granny went to pick her up she saw all the other kids, and I guess Ruby told her some of their stories. She started fostering kids herself after that, and a few years later I came along. It was a dream come true, you know? Because the one thing about Granny was she never sent kids back, even the troubled ones got her tough love until they either went back to their parents or aged out of the system.

"Then I had to go and beat the shit out of my foster brother, and got sent to juvie." Emma shrugged her shoulders and pressed her lips together tightly.

Regina cocked her head. "For good reason though, wasn't it? Didn't Granny understand that?"

"Well, yeah it was for good reason. But in juvie I had to retreat even more inside myself just to survive. It's not a nice place to be. It's like the _worst_ group home _ever_. Once I was free, Granny tried to coax me back out of myself but I pushed everyone away and I ran."

"You stopped running in Portland though. You were there for ten years."

"Yeah. After... after Henry I realised I did want to try to have roots. And although my parents didn't try to contact me, or at least I thought they hadn't, I wanted to be someone that he'd be proud of if he ever tracked me down."

Regina kissed the pale knuckles she cradled reverently. "You are someone to be proud of, Emma." The younger woman chuckled self-deprecatingly, but Regina drew her around to face her with a finger under her chin. "You are someone to be proud of."

"Mom! Ma!" Henry called from upstairs. "I'm ready!"

"Come on." Regina smiled, stood, and pulled Emma up as well. "It seems we're both required on tucking-in duty tonight." With her hands cradling Emma's face, she stood on tip-toes and pressed a delicate kiss to her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The movie is D.A.R.Y.L. and the whole thing is on youtube if you want to watch it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3upS3idcSpE
> 
> I had to re-jig this one a little bit and bring forward a conversation because I started writing smutty smut and it got too long. (Too long, you say? No such thing!) But rest assured, the next chapter is half written already and will be **entirely** smutty. (*sings* _hallelujah_ ) 
> 
> If I ever get the courage to post it, that is. If not, it's been fun, thanks, and goodnight.
> 
> (Just kidding... kind of.)


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this update took so long! I hope it's length makes up for the delay... *hides*  
> I hiked the rating for this chapter, and if PWP isn't your think you can skip it with very little effect to the overall plot. (But who's gonna do that, amiright?!)  
> Oh and "the bikini" is, of course, this one: http://lana-parrilla.net/gallery/albums/Photoshoots/2011/BellSoto/007.jpg  
> Oh geez. Ok. Here goes nothing...

Emma followed Regina into her bedroom and wrapped her arms around her waist. Regina turned into the embrace, raised her arms and draped them around Emma's neck. Without her high heels, she was a few inches shorter than the blonde, and she loathed to admit she actually enjoyed that fact.

Her voice was low and deep. "You're not tired, are you?"

Thin pink lips pressed against hers, and Emma nuzzled their noses together. "Nope."

"Good." Regina pushed Emma away and turned back to her dresser. She reached into the top drawer and pulled out two swimsuits. She held them out towards Emma, a black and white, geometrically patterned, halter-neck bikini in one hand and a plain black bandeau bikini in the other. "I switched the hot tub on this morning. Swim?"

"You switched it on this morning and didn't say anything until now?" Emma eyed the swimwear, and realized quickly that not only would she probably not fit the bandeau suit, she also had to see Regina in it. She took the black and white bikini.

The brunette leaned forward and kissed Emma again. "Forgive me for not wanting my son to be around the first time I see you in a bikini." She quirked an eyebrow, grinned cheekily, and paused in the doorway. "You can change in here. See you downstairs."

Emma changed quickly though she had to spend a minute re-tying the side knots on the briefs to accommodate her wider hips. The top fit reasonably well, though there wasn't quite enough coverage for her liking. The worst part was the colour, the predominantly white fabric made her own pale skin look even more pasty-white. She resolved that the only solution would be to try to be already in the hot tub before Regina emerged from the bathroom. She snagged the plush towelling robe from where it hung behind Regina's bedroom door and quickly made her way downstairs. 

Through the glass doors, now that she knew to look, she saw wisps of steam rise out of the raised deck on the patio. The bolt slid down and a blast of icy air caused her to flinch, and she quickly closed the door behind her so as to not cool down the apartment too much. The two bi-fold wooden panels pulled back easily and revealed the still but steaming water below. It passed the toe-test and she threw the robe over one of the deck chairs as she sank into the water with a delighted moan.

Warm water enveloped her, and she pulled her hair up into a rough bun, fixed with an elastic band from around her wrist. She took a seat facing the patio doors, arms outstretched along the edge of the hot tub, and she enjoyed the contrast of the cold air on her face and shoulders and the heat of the water that the rest of her body was immersed in.

The door opened and Regina emerged from inside carrying towels and the large quilt that they had all kept warm under when they had sat out here drinking wine with Marian. She smiled the pleasure written all over Emma's face. "Enjoying yourself?"

Emma moaned. "Yes. I will be more when you join me."

"Oh, will you now?" A dark eyebrow raised and red lips curled up at the corners. The blanket and towels landed on the day bed with a poof sound, and two bottles of beer she had been holding underneath them clanked together in her fingers. She uncapped the bottles and placed them on the deck next to the tub. Her own thin, grey robe slid off her shoulders and was cast aside onto the same chair as Emma's.

The blonde couldn't keep her mouth closed, her lips falling apart to form a small 'o' shape as her - well they hadn't really talked about it yet but she felt fairly safe and excited to say - girlfriend's body was revealed to her. Slender calves disappeared under the water, followed by firm yet rounded thighs. The small black bikini briefs sat low on her hips, defined obliques emerged from the top and curved around the sides of her flat waist. The bandeau was something else. A sliver of skin peeked through the small gap in the silver buckle between her breasts, and Regina's bare upper chest and shoulders took Emma's breath away with a whispered "Wow."

A low chuckle rumbled out of the older woman as she stretched out across the tub towards Emma, only her head above water. "And with that reaction, it is indeed a good thing that we are alone." She stopped about a foot in front of Emma with a seductive smile and dark eyes twinkling in time with the fairy lights.

"Definitely a good thing," Emma confirmed. The water swirled as the brunette pushed to the side and retrieved the beers. They clinked the bottles and took a sip, and Regina settled into the seat next to Emma. Their lower legs brushed against each other and Regina took the opportunity to link her knee over the top of Emma's, and the blonde's free hand dipped under the water to rest on top of it. "Or a bad thing, considering how hard it makes it to keep my hands off you."

Regina's voice was low and sultry. The water rippled as her fingertips traced lines through its surface. "Why on Earth would you want to do that?"

She watched the other woman's throat as she swallowed another gulp of beer before placing the bottle back onto the deck behind her. She turned in her seat, her hand sliding around from her knee to palm the inside of the older woman's thigh just a fraction higher, and grinned devilishly. "Well, I can adjust my position on that at any time. Just say the word."

"Adjust your position, you say?" Emma's eyes focussed on Regina drawing her teeth over her bottom lip. "And which 'word' would cause that to happen?"

Emma swallowed thickly. "Yes."

Red lips parted in a smile and deft fingers slid around Emma's neck and delved into blonde hair at her nape. The motion floated Regina closer as she was even more lightweight in the water. "Yes." She murmured, and crushed their lips together in a rough kiss, teeth mashing against lips and tongues darting out to touch and taste. Emma's hand slid further up and underneath Regina's thigh as she pulled her closer, although it also had the effect of twisting her more side-on.

Regina grunted softly and reached out with her other hand to hold onto Emma with both arms, but when her cold bottle touched her bare shoulder she jerked instinctively and lightly bit down on Regina's lower lip.

The older woman gasped and pulled back, and with less grace than she would have liked, she dropped the bottle into the water behind her, tugged her leg from Emma's grasp, then twisted herself forward, knees first, to straddle the blonde's lap. With her hands on either side of Emma's face she brought their mouths together again and hungrily thrust her tongue in, sliding it against Emma's, and ran it over smooth top teeth before allowing Emma's to enter her.

Despite the cold air on her wet shoulders, her body burned up from the feeling of Emma's hands at her waist, thumbs pressing into her hipbones and fingers clutching at her sides. They began to slide upwards, and as they ascended past her ribs and thumbs just barely brushed the undersides of her breasts, she unconsciously began to roll her hips forward, and she swallowed the resulting moan from the blonde.

Hands continued to roam and kisses deepened as the steam swirled around them and water sloshed until Regina pulled back abruptly leaving both of them breathing heavily and dark-eyed with lust. Regina's chest was flushed pink with what could have been the heat, cold, or arousal or some combination of all three. "Get out." Regina husked firmly.

Emma flinched. "What?"

The brunette pulled herself out of the water and grabbed a towel. "Out."

The blonde followed the instruction only to have Regina immediately begin patting her down, drying her off from head to toe. Emma leaned across for the second towel while Regina did her back, stopping briefly to run her bare hand tentatively over the healing bruises. 

Emma turned and wrapped the towel around Regina's shoulders and drew her close, using both towels, both hands, and the pressure of her body to soak up the beads of water from the expanse of olive skin. 

The quilt was pulled back and Emma was roughly pushed onto the day bed, Regina swirling the quilt around her like a cape and climbing on top, and the fabric fell over the pair like a collapsed big top tent. Strong fingers slid around the small of Regina's back to pull her closer, she needed her closer. Regina's own wandering hand made its way to her chest to cup a full breast, a thumb brushed over her nipple, already painfully erect from arousal and the cold.

Emma felt a bite on her lip and rocked her hips, Regina's thigh slipped between her own and she moaned at the flat but direct pressure where she needed it most. She ran her hand back up toned sides, over heaving ribs, to the band of still-damp fabric, and dipped her fingers under the hem. Regina arched her back to raise herself away from the warm body below her, and allowed Emma's hands to slide underneath her bikini top. A hiss escaped her lips when Emma cupped her and gently pinched her taut nipples between thumbs and forefingers before immediately returning to palming them again. Her hips bucked against the younger woman's thigh and she looped them in a circular motion which also drew a whimper from the blonde.

With hands on her breasts she was pushed upwards and away, the quilt falling back behind her exposing both their upper bodies to the freezing night, a fact she cared much less about as soon as a hot, wet mouth sucked a nipple in, her tongue flicking and fluttering across it. Her hands found purchase in long blonde hair, and she pulled the hair tie out as gently as she could, allowing the tresses to fall around Emma's shoulders below her. She slid her fingers back through her mane and held the blonde's mouth onto her breast.

She had to move her leg from between Emma's if she were to arch back as far as she felt the need to, and she again straddled the younger woman's lap. Emma released her nipple with a pop into the cold night air, and basically picked up the smaller woman under the arms to lay her back. With a swift movement as Regina fell back onto the cushions, Emma whipped out the quilt from underneath her and swirled it around behind her to cover them again as she took Regina's former position on top, her thigh pressed firmly against Regina's sex.

Now on her back with both hands free, Regina unclipped the back of Emma's halter-neck, lifted it over her head and discarded it somewhere off to the side. Bare breasts fell against her chest as the blonde lowered herself to passionately kiss Regina. Olive fingers dug almost painfully into Emma's sides as she tilted her hips to seek more friction. Emma's hand traced down the soft skin from cleavage to belly-button, where they circled and dipped, and continued their journey south. As they pressed down over of the silky fabric, a different kind of wetness soaking through, the hand in her hair fisted and another punishing kiss assaulted her lips.

"Maybe we should-"

Regina cut her off with a growl. "Don't you dare stop now, Miss Swan."

With a grin, Emma circled her fingers once, twice, three times, then raised herself enough to remove her hand and slide it down inside the material instead, over the patch of soft curls and lightly over the peaked bundle of nerves into slick folds. 

Regina let out a strangled whimper and dug her fingers into Emma's bicep. The blonde curled her body and licked where earlobe met neck and dragged her teeth over salty skin as she drew a line of kisses down her lover's throat. Two fingers circled around the older woman's clit without applying direct pressure, and down to dance along the line of her entrance. The fingers dug deeper into her flesh as she repeated the move again twice more, before pressing the flat of her fingers against the sensitive nub.

Hips bucked up towards her as she resumed her circling, but this time her fingers swirled over her clit each time, assisted by the rhythmic pressure of the rocking of her own hips against Regina's thigh.

"Yes... Yes, yes!" Regina groaned, the fingers twisted in blonde locks pulled the younger woman down until their sticky temples met, cheek to cheek, and Regina's hot breaths panting directly into Emma's ear skyrocketed her own building tension. She let out guttural moan and her upper torso lifted clear off the day bed as every muscle clenched hard and spasmed, her erratic gasps interspersed by moments of held breaths, released with quiet little noises, until her muscles eventually relaxed and she fell back to the cushion. 

Emma's fingers remained in place, the flat of them pressed lightly against the pulsing bud, and she undulated them every few moments, drawing out every possible second of pleasure that remained. Slowly she withdrew her hand, and with it she peeled down the bandeau on one side and painted the juices on and around the dusky nipple, which she then lapped at, sucked back into her mouth and released with a kiss to it's softening tip.

"Oh my god." She murmured, her dark eyes opening just barely enough to see her lover's smiling face, almost bluish in the moonlight. Regina pulled her down and enjoyed the weight of the muscular blonde pressing down on her. She kissed her lips and her center pulsed again at the faint taste of herself on Emma's lips.

"Oh my god is right," Emma whispered. "You are so fucking gorgeous right now."

"We need to go upstairs."

"Oh, now you want to go upstairs?" The blonde teased. "You didn't seem to care a few minutes ago."

Regina pushed her lover off and adjusted her top as she stood. She leaned down to Emma, still sprawled on the day bed, quilt drawn up around her, and in her low, husky voice, she purred into Emma's ear. "There isn't exactly the room here to do everything I want to do to you."

Green eyes widened and she scrambled to follow the brunette who walked briskly in only her bathing suit to the patio door, a seductive glance back at Emma had her give up on her attempt to find her top and grasp at a towel to cover herself with. With the door locked and bolted, she climbed the stairs as quickly and quietly as she could, and tip-toed past the two bedrooms to the master where Regina waited for her, the shaded bedside lamp casting shadows across the walls.

She clicked the door shut behind Emma and flicked the privacy lock. As she turned, Emma dropped the towel and pressed her against the door, hands again finding purchase at her waist and lips on her neck just below her jawline. She slung her arms around the taller woman's neck, holding her close, her body hot against her cold but rapidly heating skin.

Regina pushed away from the door and walked Emma backwards, stopping when the back of her legs hit the edge of the bed. "You too need only to say the word, Miss Swan."

Pink lips smiled against her throat. "Yes." Another kiss. "God, yes!"

With a gentle push, Emma bent at the knees and sat on the edge of the bed, and she pulled Regina to her and pressed kisses to her belly. The brunette, legs already apart, sat astride Emma's knees, her arms again looping over strong shoulders. She felt Emma's fingers dancing around the clasp of her top and she nodded into their kiss before she released it and pulled the fabric from between them to drop on the floor. Hands again rose to palm her smaller breasts, thumbs circling her peaked nipples. She arched her back at the contact and a delicate, high-pitched noise accompanied her exhale.

Finally breaking their kiss as long fingers slid down her body and just under her waistband to brush against the top of her ass, she stood, and Emma bit her lip as she looked past the pert breasts up to the flushed face of her girlfriend. The slight smell of chlorine couldn't hide the scent of their arousal, and she slid her hands a little further under the waistband of Regina's bikini bottoms, and watched her face for any hesitance as she slid them down over slim hips and down her thighs. They dropped to the floor once they passed her knees, and Emma swallowed thickly at the phenomenal sight in front of her.

Small hands, appearing more olive than usual against the whiteness of her skin, guided her backwards, and she took the initiative to crawl backwards on her elbows up to where she could lay back against the pillows. To her surprise though, Regina didn't follow all the way. She instead only climbed onto the bed far enough to press a kiss between Emma's breasts, her hand cupping the fullness and drawing the nipple closer to her mouth, and Emma hissed as her tongue flicked across it.

Slowly she made her way down the blonde's body, pressing kisses against her skin, and paused as her fingers met the smooth lines of stretch marks at the edge of her belly. Regina lifted herself up to look at the expanse of skin and she felt Emma tense beneath her. With a reassuring glance up, she stroked the uneven skin and pressed her lips to them again and again, on both sides. Her heart swelled with the knowledge of how the marks came to be, the selfless act that that given her the light of her life.

"I guess chicks really do dig scars?" Emma said quietly, hesitantly.

Regina blinked away the tears from her eyes before looking up at her nervous lover. "This _chick_ digs _these_ scars." She sat up and ran the fingers of both hands along the lines, whiter still than the pale skin surrounding them. "But don't call me a _chick_ again." She said firmly, although the moisture in her eyes and lifted corners of her mouth gave away her affection.

She scooted back on the bed between Emma's legs and reached forward to the band of her bikini briefs. At the younger woman's nod, Regina slid them down over rounded hips and down her long legs, which Emma closed self-consciously.

Discarding the briefs on the floor, Regina placed her hand just above Emma's knee and guided her legs apart slightly. "Is this okay?"

"Uhh, yeah," Emma replied, and blushed slightly as Regina settled herself between her legs, never breaking eye contact. "You don't have to..."

Regina smiled. Her weight rested on one elbow, and the fingers of her other hand tracing lines up and down a muscular thigh, and rested on her hip. Her thumb swiped over a freckle, dark against pale skin right at the seam of thigh and belly. "Oh, but I want to."

She dropped eye contact as she brought her face down to kiss the short, soft hair at the crest of Emma's labia. The blonde sucked in a breath and Regina felt her thigh muscles tense under her forearm. She flattened her tongue and licked a broad swipe up slick folds, not removing her touch but pointing her tongue to circle her clit then flattening it again to swipe again.

Emma moaned deep in her throat and her head fell back onto the pillow. "Oh my god..."

Slender fingers rose up the blonde's body and splayed across her toned, taut stomach, reaching higher still to brush the tips underneath her breasts, and she felt Regina adjust herself slightly higher on the bed to be able to reach further, and freed her right hand from underneath herself. It slid up her inner thigh, also peppered with small, soft marks, and came to rest near Regina's face, and her thumb slipped between folds to press against her opening.

Long fingers bunched tightly into crisp white sheets, and hips bucked upwards seeking more. Regina complied, adjusted her hand, and slid first one and then two fingers into her, curled and flexing in a _come hither_ motion.

She let loose a strangled "Jesus!" and clutched at Regina's shoulders. "Get up here." Again Regina complied, her fingers remaining in place and in motion as their sweat-slicked fronts brushed against each other as Emma frantically pulled her up the bed.

Regina ended up straddling Emma's thigh again, her own thigh firmly pressing into the back of her hand, the heel of her palm pressed firmly against the swollen nub. She raised her hips enough for the blonde's own fingers to find her center. "You're so wet." Emma murmured as she lowered herself down onto them. 

Their breathy groans mingled at the combined sensations of slick heat and tightness clenching around fingers, and the taste of Emma shared between them as lips and tongues licked and sucked and teeth nibbled, and the rocking of hips and curling of fingers brought Emma first into the throes of ecstasy followed immediately by Regina.

As their heart rates and breathing rates slowed and fingers were extricated, their collapsed position became a firm embrace, and Emma pressed her lips to Regina's forehead, and she chuckled.

"What are you giggling about?" She murmured into her neck.

Emma stroked the side of her face and tucked the stray strands of hair behind her ear. "Nothing. I just didn't pick you as someone who had experience at that."

"At sex? I am a thirty-something-year-old woman, Emma. Not a virgin."

"No, at going down on a woman!" Regina lifted her head and studied her face, a curious expression on her own. Emma frowned. "Wait, you haven't?"

The older woman smiled and shook her head. "No. I just started with what I enjoy and tried to pay attention to what you responded to. It was good?"

Emma's eyes rolled back and she closed them. "So fucking good." She squeezed Regina closer to her, their hot skin burning where they touched but neither willing to separate to cool down. "I should have known you'd be a pro at anything you try your hand at. So to speak." She chuckled.

"That's not fair." Green eyes met hers again. "It's a lot of pressure to expect perfection from someone, especially at something new."

The younger woman sobered. "You're right, I'm sorry." She lifted her head forward and kissed her again on the forehead. "You seem to be a natural, but you're allowed to try things and learn as you go. I guess no matter how many times you have sex or with how many people, in a lot of ways getting to know someone new is _always_ a new experience."

Regina nuzzled back into her. "I'm only giving you a hard time, dear. I'm happy you enjoyed that as much as I did."

"You can give me a _hard time_ any time you like." Emma sighed with a smile.

"Would you like that?"

"Yes." She paused. "Wait, what kind of _hard time_ are you talking about?"

"Toys, dear." Her fingers traced over firm stomach muscles. "I would enjoy you giving me a _hard time_ as well if you would be into that."

Emma grinned and rolled them both over, her hips resting between Regina's, who wrapped her legs around her, heels pressing into the backs of thighs. "Sounds like fun." She said and pressed her lips to the corner of kiss-swollen lips as the brunette laughed softly against her cheek.


	38. Chapter 38

Long before any alarms were due to go off, Regina stirred. The hand draped around her waist tightened it's grip and pulled her closer into the warm embrace of the woman curled behind her.

"No, 's too early," the blonde murmured into her hair. The hand adjusted position from atop the black t-shirt and slipped underneath it. 

Regina's stomach muscles rippled at the skin-on-skin contact, having missed it already since they had both automatically re-dressed the night before in case they had a ten-year-old wake-up call again. She smiled and pulled her knees up higher, which pushed her backside more firmly into the blonde's crotch. The movement was met with a soft groan and the hand slid higher. She tsked the blonde playfully. "I thought you just said it was too early."

"Some things are worth waking up too early for," Emma replied, and kissed the spine of the neck where it emerged from its cotton cover.

There was a clunk as the door to the room next to theirs flew open, and short, hurried footsteps down to the bathroom and another door slam.

Emma groaned, knowing what was coming, and the brunette chuckled. "Welcome to motherhood, dear." There was a moment of silence as the deeper meaning of the flippant comment touched both women, and an odd uncertainty hung in the air. 

"I guess you can say _I told you_ so about me making him that second cocoa before bed." Emma conceded.

Regina sighed and cleared her throat amusedly. "Well, he would usually sleep until at least seven on a weekend morning. That would have allowed us --" She reached for her phone on the bedside table and checked the time, "-- about an hour."

The blonde groaned again, louder this time, and the hand cupping her breast squeezed softly, the thumb brushing across the soft bud. "I will _never_ make that mistake again."

The older woman chuckled and tried to resist the urge she felt building, and instead distracted herself with the unread message that must have been what had woken her just a minute ago.

_**[06:08] You dirty little stop out!** _

She frowned in confusion and Emma felt the tension. "What is it?"

"Marian," Regina said, and rolled to face her girlfriend. "She knows about us."

"Well, yeah." 

Regina rolled her eyes. "I mean she knew we didn't... we hadn't... and somehow now she does."

"She knows about last night?" Regina nodded, and it was Emma's turn to frown. "She wasn't behind the whole hidden camera attempt, was she?"

"Don't even joke about that, Emma." Regina glared, and Emma apologised. "I should call her."

Muscular arms emerged from under the covers as Emma stretched and yawned. She looped one arm around Regina and pulled her in for a chaste kiss. "Good morning."

They smiled at each other. "Good morning," Regina replied. "Coffee?"

Emma stole another kiss, chaste again because the taste of morning still sat heavy on her tongue. "Yes, please."

Folded and sitting on the floor outside their bedroom were their two robes, still cold from being outside all night. They put them on over their pyjamas and padded down the stairs. Henry emerged from the bathroom and followed them, catching them both in a three-way hug at the bottom of the stairs. "Good morning Moms." He crowed, then paused. "I mean, Mom and Ma." His hazel eyes looked blearily at Emma, then he shrugged and headed toward the kitchen.

Three bowls were placed on the counter and Henry eagerly filled them with some kind of health-food store knock off of regular sugar-laden children's cereal, and Regina sliced a banana over the top of the three equally. They moved with the effortlessness of a team with years of experience.

"Did you want soy or regular milk?" Regina asked without looking up from Henry sloshing the full-cream over his.

Emma cringed. "Soy, please." She watched from across the breakfast bar as Regina added soy to two of the bowls and raised an eyebrow.

Regina caught the look. "What, I can't try it out?"

With a chuckle, the blonde shrugged. "You've been trying a lot more new things lately, and I like it." She grinned at the slight flushing of cheeks she managed to elicit. 

She also noticed the slight concern that crossed the older woman's face as she glanced over Emma's shoulder, and when Emma turned she noticed as well that the patio door wasn't bolted as she had left it the night before. Emma glanced at Henry before she nonchalantly slid off the bar stool. Her shoulders relaxed when she reached the door and she turned to grin at Regina who was following her, before she quickly opened the door and stepped outside.

Mulan sat in the hot tub, a large green smoothie in one hand and the phone in the other, pressed to her ear. She tipped her chin up in a silent greeting to her friend and carried on listening to the person on the line with an occasional "uh-huh" or "oh really."

"Who are you talking to?" Emma mouthed. The door opened and closed again and Regina wrapped her robe around her a bit tighter.

In the tub, Mulan grinned. "As much as I hate to interrupt this amazing story that I totally need to hear the end of at some point, I have to give you the vital information that the lovebirds have emerged from the nest. Looking well ruffled, I might add.." 

Regina's eyes darted around the raised deck, the quilt still in a heap on the day bed, her beer bottle salvaged from the bottom of the hot tub and now sat on the edge, and Mulan's cell phone on the side table. She looked again and realised that the phone in Mulan's hand was the house cordless. "Oh no. Is she talking to Marian?" Regina asked, and Emma shrugged. "I bet she is, Marian sometimes calls the house phone if she's up early but doesn't want to wake me, she knows I can't hear it upstairs."

"Uh huh. It's disgusting. You'd love it." Mulan eyed the pair. "You're welcome for the robes." She said to them.

The door opened and closed a third time. "The pool is on!" Henry yelled. "Mooooom!"

Her eyes widened. "Go and put your bathing suit on, Henry." He scampered back toward the door. "Don't forget your towel!"

When he disappeared back inside she strode forward and began folding the quilt and the one towel they had left behind the night before, searching for something. Emma realised what and began helping. 

"Looking for this?" Mulan asked. Both women turned to see the grinning woman twirling Emma's bikini top around her finger. She laughed loudly and spoke again into the phone. "You should see their faces. They're both blushing but Emma looks really sheepish. I'm telling you, it's gotta be hers." 

Emma held her hand out and Mulan tossed her the offending garment, which she promptly shoved into the pocket of her robe.

"Yeah. Definitely betting on Emma." She tilted the phone away from her mouth slightly. "Am I right?" Regina bit her lip and looked to the blonde, who rolled her eyes and gave the smallest of affirmative nods. Mulan laughed again and spoke back into the phone. "You owe me Jackson."

Regina dropped the quilt down onto the chair and held out her hand.

"Your girl wants to talk to you. Yeah it's been great talking to you too! Alright, seeya." The water swirled around her slender form as she moved through the water, and she stood to hand the phone to Regina who took it and quickly departed back inside.

Emma stood, arms crossed, and looked sternly at her friend who was grinning like the Cheshire cat. Rivulets of water ran off her skin, already puckering with goosebumps. "You're in your underwear." She scolded. 

Mulan looked down at her black crop top and boyshorts. "Hey I'm more covered up than you were last night, missy. Of course if you'd left the other half of your suit out here I may have considered wearing it." Her face scrunched up. "Actually, maybe not." The grin broke through again. "So..."

"Don't." She warned.

The younger woman sunk back down into the water. "Come on, Em. This is progress! It's been ages since--"

The door swung open and an exuberant kid clambered up the stairs, threw his towel onto the seat and plunged his skinny white legs into the hot water. Mulan pointed a finger and mouthed 'later' to her, and Emma took a deep breath and ventured back inside the apartment.

Regina stood at the kitchen counter, her eyes were squeezed shut, fingers covering one like an eye patch, but her mouth was curled up at the corners. "Fine, yes. The answer is yes." She said into the receiver in a hushed tone. "Yes." A long pause. "God, yes."

The sound of Emma's chuckle drew her attention and her eyes snapped open. Another slight flush bloomed and she smiled and looked back down at the cereal rapidly going soggy in front of her.

"Marian, I have to go. We're eating breakfast." She pushed Emma's bowl towards her. "Oh my god, stop already. Cereal." She glanced at the closed door then met Emma's eyes. "No, we didn't get a chance to work up an appetite this morning."

"Yeah, but we also didn't re-fuel after last night's efforts." Emma said loud enough to be heard by Marian, confirmed by the loud hoot that caused Regina to hold the phone away from her ear for a moment before insisting she would call her later and saying goodbye.

She tutted. "This is all your fault." 

"You're the one who flung my bikini off to some darkened crevice to be found by—luckily—someone other than your son." Emma winked.

Full lips pursed and dark eyes narrowed. "You're lucky you're cute." Emma scooped a spoonful of mushy cereal and banana into her mouth, and a drop of soy milk dribbled onto her chin because she was grinning so widely.

XxxxxxxxxX

It was a little after 10am when Emma wandered into Regina's study, warmed by the fire burning in the corner hearth. "Have you sent that email to Sidney yet?" They had agreed that Regina should request Sidney cease and desist from courting her by email, deeming it wise to add it to the record of events just in case, given all the drama with Walter.

Regina looked up from her laptop and slid her black-rimmed glasses off her face. "Yes, I made the final adjustments after you proof-read it and sent it a few minutes ago. Why?" 

Emma tucked her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. "I just got a call from Abe. He managed to find out who was paying for Walter's lawyer, turns out it's a company that he has nothing to do with, but who Sidney owns a bunch of shares in. It skeeves me out. I'm gonna go have a chat with him."

"With who? Sidney?"

She shook her head. "Nah, not yet, anyway. Walter."

Regina stood and stepped around the desk. "Emma, there is a court case pending. We shouldn't have any contact with him. Let Kathryn and her team look into it." She protested, but she could already tell from the determined look on Emma's face that she wouldn't be talking her out of it.

"I'm only going to dig around a little bit, there's just a couple of questions I want answered. For now."

The shorter woman's hands rested on Emma's waist. "Take Mulan with you?" The blonde sighed heavily. "I know that night was an off night and you could beat him up with one arm tied behind your back any other day, but please? For me?"

Emma smiled atop clenched teeth. "Okay. Will you still take Henry over to Zelena's for lunch?"

"Yes." Her arms slid further around her waist, under her brown leather jacket, and their fronts pressed together. "Meet us there later? We'll save you two some food."

XxxxxxxxxX

"Little fucker." Mulan scowled at the man dumping a big bag of trash in the dumpster next to the apartment block. The pair of women climbed out of the bug and trotted across the road, catching him before he re-entered the building.

"Whoa," he held his hands up. "What the hell do you two want?" He sounded afraid.

Emma held her own hands up. "We just want to talk." 

"Yeah?" His eyes narrowed. "Talk to my lawyer." He moved to take a step towards the door but Mulan darted to the side and blocked the way. "You can't do this." He said, trying to sound firm but the quiver in his voice gave his weakness away.

"Seriously, I just want to ask you a couple of things. Firstly, did you go to the apartment to install the cameras for yourself or someone else?"

His posture changed, and his back straightened. " _Seriously_ ," he mimicked, "your lawyer should be talking to my lawyer." Mulan took a step closer, which he saw in his peripheral vision and swallowed. Emma raised an eyebrow. "All I'll say is that ain't my thing."

"What ain't?" Emma mimicked him this time. "Perving on women in their own homes? Invading their privacy?"

"Yeah," he said earnestly. "It ain't my thing. But I ain't gonna tell you anything else."

Emma leaned forward. "It's okay, we already know Sidney Glass is pulling strings to pay for your fancy lawyer."

The short man's eyes bugged out. "How... how do you... nevermind. I'm not saying anything."

"You've said enough." She leaned closer again, and lowered her voice. "And Walter? I don't care what he's got on you, or over you, but if you ever go near Regina or her son again, I will end you. Do you understand?"

His eye twitched and knees pressed together. "Yes Ma'am," he replied.

"Good." She replied, and he nearly wet himself when Mulan slapped a hand down on his shoulder. "Glad we talked. See you in court."

The heavy doors slammed shut one after the other and Emma released a deep breath. Mulan giggled next to her. "He's a fucking pussy. A creeper, but a pussy. That Sidney fucker has to be behind all this."

Emma started the engine and revved it so it wouldn't stall. "Next stop, the Glass house."

"Very punny, Em." Mulan side-eyed her. "Dork."

Sidney Glass' neighbourhood was very different to Walter's. The streets were wide, green lawns and overhanging trees, but not quite suburban enough to have children's bikes on front lawns or families with strollers going for a walk. She rapped her knuckles on the solid wooden door and waited. There was no answer. She knocked again, and waited. Mulan wandered around to the side and peered in a window. "The garage is empty," she called out.

They returned to the bug parked across the street and down the block a little way, and sat.

"Should we wait?" Mulan asked, checking the time.

Emma looked up the street at the empty house and bit her thumbnail. "Nah. I have another idea though."

Their third stop wasn't too far away from Sidney's house, the suburb slightly more posh, the houses larger, the cars newer and the bug looked even more out of place. "You really should get something less conspicuous for stake outs, you know." Mulan suggested.

"This car represents the first freedom I ever felt I had, Mu." Emma retorted with the same argument she has always had with Mulan. "I don't know why you hate her so much."

"She's gonna get you identified, Em. And one day that could get you killed." For once, Mulan didn't seem to be joking around, and Emma watched her profile as she stared out the front window. "You're so gung-ho, you don't value your element of surprise."

Emma opened her door. "Come on, sensei."

"You know I'm not Japanese, right?" Mulan called as Emma's door slammed shut. She grinned and followed.

Emma's knock on the door was answered this time, the tall man appeared with his hair still perfectly coiffed and his blue business shirt open at the collar.

"You." He said with a scowl. "What do you want?"

"Just a few questions." She held up her hands as she had done earlier. He didn't open the door any further, but he also didn't close it in her face, so she took the opportunity. "Regina Mills. You've left her alone since I last saw you."

Dr Frank frowned. "Yes, which is why I don't understand why you are here."

"She doesn't hold sway over the bill you want amended. Why did you confront her on the street in the first place?" She noticed him stiffen and repositioned herself that she could jam her boot in the door if she needed to.

"I was told she had influence, and was given her details, so I went to see her. Official channels are not the best way of communicating about the finer details of these things." He leaned against the doorframe, his wide shoulders still blocking the view into his house.

Emma bit her tongue about the content of his requested amendment and tried to keep her focus on the issue at hand. "Who told you she had influence and gave you her details?"

The man's head cocked to the side. "I don't know." Emma rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to speak. "No, I really don't know. It was an anonymous tip-off, I guess you could say. A man phoned from a blocked number, gave me the details, then hung up. I went, and after our confrontation I thought I'd better do more research and saw she was some nobody paper-pusher between departments." Emma began to protest, but he held his hand up. "It was a waste of my time. I can only imagine it was someone out to steer me in the wrong direction, but I swear, I will not be deterred." 

He opened the door and stepped out in front of the women, his arms crossed across his chest. "Testing on animals is useless. Do you know that Alexander Fleming observed penicillin kill bacteria in a Petri dish in 1929, but in the trial on bacteria-infected rabbits it had no effect because they metabolised it too quickly? And it killed the guinea pigs! He shelved the drug for ten years until in desperation he used it on a dying patient, and it worked like a miracle. Do you know how many people died in those ten years because he thought the drug was ineffective? Do you know how many cures we could be missing out on right now because we can't run trials on humans until the drugs pass animal trials, and how ridiculous that is when animals react so extremely differently to drugs than humans do?" 

His face had reddened in his passionate speech, and Emma took a step back. Mulan pitched in to help. "What did the guy sound like? The one who called you?"

Dr Frank shook himself free of his reverie and turned to the woman at his side. "What do you mean?"

"Any accent? Distinctive tone or phrase or anything?" He shrugged. She sighed and pulled out her phone, pressed a few buttons, then held the speaker out towards him. "Does this sound like him, by chance?"

He listened for a few moments to an announcement about a death in police custody. The voice was crisp and clear, words well enunciated, and the tone pleasant and soothing. The doctor nodded. "Yeah, I mean I can't say for sure, but it's pretty close to what I remember. Who is that?"

Emma looked at her friend and back at the doctor. "No one you need to worry about. Thanks for your time."

The doors clunked closed again and Emma exhaled sharply. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That Glassy ass motherfucker got Franky boy to harass Regina so she'd get scared and go running into his arms?"

She looked at her friend, grateful they were always on the same wavelength. "Something tells me he's going to be a slippery son of a bitch to pin down though."

"Eels are slimy little bastards, but we always get them on the table." Emma quirked an eyebrow at her friend. "What? They're popular cuisine in my cultures." Mulan looked over at Emma and saw past the frustration to the fear. "We'll get him, Em. We'll keep her safe."


	39. Chapter 39

Emma and Mulan had joined Regina and Henry at Zelena's house, just missing their lunch time but eating from the copious leftovers. They had ended up staying until the evening, and had ordered pizza as a special Saturday night treat. As the night wore on, they departed for home in convoy. 

Regina and Henry parked first, and Henry cheekily pressed the button to close the elevator doors as Emma and Mulan approached. "Race ya!" He shouted, still too energetic after Zelena pumped him full of soda. 

The blonde rolled her eyes, and Mulan shrugged. "Work off that extra slice of cheese pizza you stuffed in your mouth when you took the boxes out to the kitchen. Yeah, I saw you."

It appeared that Emma was going to protest, but instead she lunged for the stairwell door and got a head-start on her friend. They pounded up the stairs to the top floor and almost fell out into the hallway, laughing and panting for breath. Emma looked up at Regina's front door and fell silent. She stood tall and stepped closer, Mulan also straightened and followed a step behind.

"Hey, man, you shouldn't be here," Emma said gruffly. "She's asked you to stay away."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened, Mulan caught Henry in her arms as he leapt out and pushed him back into the car. Emma pulled her keys out of her jacket pocket and tossed them to Mulan, who held them out to Regina. "Go to Emma's apartment." 

"What--"

"Regina?" Sidney called out and started coming closer. Emma took another step forward and held her hands out to block him. 

"Leave her alone." She growled.

"I just want to talk to her." He said insistently to the blonde. "Regina, I just want to apologise for the misunderstanding."

Regina pushed Mulan's hand off her arm that was holding her in the elevator, and instead pulled the smaller woman in. "Henry, go with Mulan." She said, her eyes didn't leave the younger woman's, the unspoken request to keep him safe met with a clenched jaw and a slight nod. She pressed the door close button and stepped out into the hallway.

She strolled up next to Emma and squared off against the taller man, her thumb holding the overcoat that was draped around her shoulders with an elegant sophistication. "Mr Glass, there is nothing for us to talk about. I requested that you cease from contacting me outside of official business, and then only during working hours through the proper channels. Showing up at my apartment on a Saturday night does not comply with my request." 

"Regina, please. Let me explain." He began again, moving closer. Regina didn't move a muscle, but Emma stepped forward, her hands meeting his chest and he shot her a fiery glare before almost instantly softening his expression as he turned back to the brunette.

"She doesn't need to _let_ you do anything. She told you that you crossed a line and you crossed another one to insist that you weren't forcing your, what, your affection onto her?" Emma laughed bitterly. "Don't you get how fucked up that is? If you had any respect for her you wouldn't have come here, and if you have any semblance of intelligence you'll take your foot out of your mouth and walk out of here right now and never come back." Her green eyes were fixed on him and unblinking. Her chest still heaved with the need for oxygen from her run up the stairs, but she didn't even notice the weak feeling in her legs with all her attention focused on the man in front of her.

He had torn his eyes from Regina during her berating. "Miss Swan." He said with a glimmer of recognition from her from her teenage mugshot in Regina's file. "This is hardly any of your business."

Regina spoke with obvious disdain and a touch of portrayed boredom. "On the contrary, Mr Glass. This is very much her business since I have engaged her security services."

His face contorted in disbelief and he gave Emma a quick once-over. "Regina, she's a criminal. You can't trust her."

"Oh, but I can trust the police?" She mocked.

"She's running a con on you, Regina. But I can protect you." He shifted his eyes back to the shorter woman and once again his face took on a puppy-dog quality.

Regina laughed and walked around the opposite side of Emma to Sidney. "Come on, dear. I don't wish to waste my time here any longer." Her hand drifted lightly across the younger woman's lower back. A movement that he did not miss. 

"You're..." Sidney's lip curled up in a sneer as he watched the women walk to Regina's door, Emma glaring at him over her shoulder. He took a step back towards the elevator while watching them, but stopped when Regina turned to him again. 

"Oh, and Mr Glass?"

"Yes, Regina?" He said with hope still in his voice.

Her eyes were so dark that even Emma couldn't see where the pupil ended and the irises began. "If you ever go anywhere near my son again, it won't be Miss Swan you will have to worry about. It will be me." She turned the handle having just unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

"You're better than her, Regina. You're not a..." He gesticulated with his hand and glared at Emma.

Regina smirked. "A what? A lesbian? No, Sidney, I'm not. But I will still never be involved with you. Ever." She closed the door and locked the deadbolt, and peered through the peep-hole, watching him until he entered the elevator and the illuminated numbers indicated his descent. She puffed her cheeks as she exhaled and leaned into Emma's embrace.

"You okay?" Emma murmured into dark locks.

She sighed again before answering. "Yes. I am now."

They held each other a little longer, then Emma snickered. "So, you've engaged my security services? I'm not sure if I should expect a paycheck or a ring."

"More like engaging a landing gear, dear. I've locked you in." Her nose nuzzled into Emma's neck and she pressed a kiss to the exposed flesh above her collar.

Emma hummed. "Well, you do know all the right buttons to push, Captain."

Arms slid further around her waist and the shorter woman brought her face up to her girlfriend's. She kissed the smile off Emma's lips, and it began to get heated when they both felt Emma's phone vibrate in her front pocket. Regina bit down lightly on Emma's lower lip, then pulled back and released it.

"Mmmhmm. Totally not lesbianish at all." She grinned.

Regina raised an eyebrow. "I'm not a lesbian, dear."

"You're not going to say something corny like you're an Emma-sexual, are you?" She slid her phone from her pocket.

"Me? Corny? Have you met me?" Regina chuckled. "No." She lowered her eyes to the necklace chain that disappeared under Emma's grey t-shirt and lifted her hand up between them to stroke it against her skin. "While I have seen women I would consider attractive before, I can't say I ever felt true attraction to them. Enough to do anything about it anyway. But I never ruled out the idea."

"I knew I was special." Emma grinned. She swiped the lock-screen, not that she had a lock code on it, and read the new message from Mulan.

**_[20:16] Everything okay?_ **

"You are. I even kissed Marian once, and nothing."

Emma paused mid-way through typing a reply to Mulan. "What?" Regina blinked innocently, her mouth curled in a cheeky smile. "You kissed Marian? When?"

Regina's smile widened. "You're even cuter when you're jealous." Emma just stared at her, eyes squinted. "It was years ago, Emma. We were reminiscing one night over a few wines about when her ex thought she and I were together, and we kissed. But we had been friends for so long it was just strange, and we both ended up laughing hysterically. I promise, it was nothing you need to worry about."

"Are you sure? Your family all seemed to presume we were together before we were together." Emma frowned, and Regina shrugged in a very Emma-ish way.

"My mother overheard Henry ask why you were sleeping on the sofa after the Dr Frank incident. I assumed she jumped to conclusions and spread the news, in her usual overly supportive, frustratingly intrusive way." Regina explained.

The blonde accepted the explanation and continued finished typing her reply.

_[20:19] Yeah, he's gone. Come up whenever._

"And yourself?" Regina hung her coat on the wall hook behind the door.

"No, I've never kissed Marian." Emma grinned cheekily. Regina swatted her butt as she walked past and switched the lights on throughout the downstairs living area. "I've had a girlfriend before." She tucked the phone back in her pocket and her hands into her back pockets. "But then Henry wasn't a divine conception either."

"And since Henry?" She knew she was pushing the edge of the younger woman's comfort level but was too curious to not take the opportunity.

Emma shrugged. "Guys are easy." She paused. "I mean... like, I don't really get involved, and so it's easier when you don't feel much."

Her body stiffened as the older woman sauntered over to her and placed her hands on her waist. "And with me?"

The blonde inhaled sharply and swallowed. "I feel a lot." She whispered.

A smile danced across red lips, but their moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. Regina answered it and Emma used the few seconds to shake herself back to a less tense state.

XxxxxxxxxX

By Monday morning Emma still hadn't been able to convince Regina to pursue a restraining order against Sidney. She claimed that it would affect her job, and even after Emma told her about her suspicions about his involvement in Walter's break in and Dr Frank's tip off, she still didn't seem to think him capable of actual physical harm.

Emma had seen it before though, with the women in Mulan's self-defence classes, and at the crisis centre that she had volunteered at for a while. The abuse by men who seemed to the outside world to be upstanding citizens. Nice guys, or at least men incapable of the cruelty they exhibited behind closed doors.

She had called Abe the day before and updated him about her suspicious and the events of the night before, and asked him if he could do any more digging around Sidney. There had to be something else, some other clue as to what this man was capable of.

Mulan had driven her to work that morning and taken the car to keep watch outside Henry's school. Emma had called Lance Elliot, the head of security at Regina's office, and updated him. By early afternoon she knew she wasn't paying close enough attention to her work and was likely to miss something. She picked up her blue leather jacket from where she had slung it over the back of her office chair and grumbled to Glenda as she departed that she was going for a walk to clear her head.

The woman from the photo centre, Johanna, had called that morning to tell her the repaired photo was ready to collect, so she walked the seven blocks to pick them up. It looked great, and she slipped the small copy she had made into her wallet, now Regina and Henry smiled at her from within the plastic pocket rather than her own face from her driver's license. 

She had more of a spring in her step on the way back, as she thought about her lunch options on the route back to the office. A couple of kids were rough-housing on the footpath in front of her, and she walked along the edge of the kerb to keep out of their way. She tried to shake the feeling that she had seen them before, when another boy ran over to her. 

"Excuse me, miss!" He said as he came closer. Emma eyed him up and down. His clothes were a bit dirty, there was a tear in the knee of his oversized jeans, and his sneakers looked old and probably a little too small now. He was almost her height, probably about 13, and shaggy brown hair flopped over his collar, ears and forehead, not quite long enough to cover his big, soulful brown eyes. He was a pretty cute kid, and actually looked a little like he could be Raf's older brother, if he had one. She stopped and waited for him to continue.

He smiled crookedly at her and she couldn't help but return it. "Do you happen to have the time?" He asked.

She pulled her phone from her pocket and checked it. "Yeah, it's ten to two. Shouldn't you be in school?"

His face dropped. "Yeah, but my mom is having surgery today, my dad sent me out because I couldn't sit still, but I seem to have gotten lost. Do you know which way the hospital is?"

Something about the kid didn't seem right, and although his sadness did seem genuine, she suspected his story wasn't the whole truth. She slipped her phone into her back pocket. "Uhh yeah," she pointed the way she had come from. If you head up this street and take a right on Cambridge, you'll come to it."

She turned back around to head back to work. "Thanks, miss!" He said, and just as she was about to walk away, the two play-fighing boys bumped into her and she stumbled.

"Sorry!" They both said in unison, their grubby hands helping her stay upright. They took off running up the street, the boy she had been talking to backed away slowly. She narrowed her eyes at him. He seemed as though he would have been polite enough to ask if she was okay.

"You ok, kid?" She asked. He continued backing away up the street, but nodded to reassure her. She widened her stance and put her hands on her hips... and felt her back pockets were empty. She slapped her hands against them, most definitely flat. "Son of a--"

The kid turned and started running and she bolted after him. The two bigger boys were much further up the street, but she was sure she could catch the cute little bastard. She gained ground on him quite fast, but managed to make an easy grab when he turned into an alley which was fenced off, and she grabbed his ankle as he climbed up the chain link and pulled him to the ground. He stumbled and fell on his ass and she stood over him.

"What the hell, kid?" She panted, hands on her knees, the plastic bag with Regina's photo in it bumped against her calf. Her fitness was good for endurance but she still struggled with the short sprints. In boots. Without any warm up.

He just lay there, half twisted to the side, his torso up off the ground but not quite sitting up. "I don't know those guys, I swear!"

"Yeah? Well, I think you're lying to me. I know how it goes, you're just the distraction, but I just want my phone and wallet. Take me to them and I'll let you go."

He tried to scrabble backwards, but with two quick steps she was standing over him again. "I don't know," he insisted. 

She grabbed a handful of his hoodie and pulled him to his feet. "Alright then, the police station isn't far. You know what I do for a living, kid? I'm a bail bondsperson. Which means I track down and catch bail-jumpers, bring them back into the cops. I have a lot of contacts there, and they'll help me get it out of you so get walking. I don't have all day."

"No!" He struggled against her grip but she held tight. "They weren't supposed to run, they said you wouldn't even notice. I only just met them today, they said they'd give me twenty bucks if I got you to stop walking for a minute."

She sighed, his story rang true to her, given his odd behaviour when it had happened. "What's your name, kid?"

"Bailey," he said, relaxing slightly, probably in defeat. "Bay."

"Alright, Bay. What else did they say? Anything that might help me figure out who they are or where I can find them?"

Bay shook his head. "They just said some guy pointed you out and said he'd give them a hundred bucks to take your phone."

Her heart sunk. "What can you tell me about the guy?"

"I don't know. They were talking to some black guy in a car when I came along. It could have been him." He shrugged. "I'm sorry."

"Did you get a look at the guy in the car? Old, young? What kind of car? New, old, what colour, what condition?"

The kid looked overwhelmed. "Umm he had grey hair so, old. It was a pretty new, black sedan with really dark tinted windows, but I could see him coz he had his window right down."

"Fuck." Emma gritted out, and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Bay's timid voice interrupted the stream of other expletives running through her head. "Who is he?"

She let go of the fistful of hoodie she had, but clamped her hand down on his shoulder and lead him out of the alleyway. "Some asshole stalking my girlfriend." She walked them to the payphone they had run past, and she slapped her pockets. "Shit, you got any coins, kid?"

He dug into the deep pocket of his baggy jeans and came up with a few coins, a button and some lint. He gathered the coins and handed them to her. "I'm real sorry, miss." 

"Emma." She said grudgingly. "You can call me Emma."

She picked up the receiver and poked the coins in the slot. She punched in the number she knew off by heart, thanks to that ridiculous English movie she had watched as a kid in one of the group homes -- Nuns On The Run -- 555 2846, the pattern being what the "nun" had used to remember how to cross himself; spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch.

It must have just about gone to voicemail when Regina finally answered. _"Hello?"_

"Hey Regina it's me."

_"I'm about five minutes away."_

Emma frowned "Five minutes from where?"

_"What are you talking about? Revere Beach Tow Yard. Where you messaged me to urgently pick you up from."_

"Regina, no. My phone got stolen. Don't go there!" 

There was a noise as Regina moved the phone away from her ear. _"Where are you calling from?"_

"A payphone. Look, Sidney paid a couple of kids to pickpocket my phone. Don't-"

_"How do you know it was him?"_

Emma groaned. "I caught one of them and he described him, okay? Just please, don't go there. Do you have the card Tiny gave you for that security company? Can you call them and ask them if they can get someone to wherever he told you to meet him? But you keep driving, keep going up the 129 and onto 1A. Veer right at Salem University and on the right you'll see a diner called Granny's. Go there. I'll have Ruby waiting for you. We're going to get you somewhere safe."

_"What about--"_

"We'll get Henry too. It'll be okay, Regina. You'll both be safe."

_"You be careful too, Emma."_

The blonde smiled sadly, frustrated and angry that she had been right about the man. "I will."

She hung up and pressed her head against the back of her hand which still held the replaced receiver. She turned and was surprised to see Bay still standing behind her, scuffing his foot on the path. "Uhh, kid. You didn't take off."

He shook his head. "That guy sounds real bad... Who is Henry?"

Emma pulled the picture frame out of the bag she was holding and showed it to him. "Our kid." She looked down at the picture herself, the slice in it invisible to the naked eye. "This is a few years old though, he's ten now." She sighed, and bent down slightly so she was eye level with him. "Look, Bay. You're a good kid, I can tell. Don't get mixed up in shit like those guys, okay? Juvie isn't all fun and games. Trust me, you don't want to be in there. I'm not gonna say stay in school and go to college and all that because I know it's not for everyone, but if you're not gonna be in school, get a job, okay? Even if it's a paper run or walking people's dogs for them. You don't wanna screw your life up over a twenty buck job. Got it?"

Bay nodded, his dark eyes moist and expressive. "I really am sorry, Emma."

She patted him on the shoulder. "I know. Do me one favour though, will you?" She fished the $20 note out of her jacket pocket that she had planned to use for her lunch. "Run over to that store and ask them to break this into a $10 and coins for the phone. I have more urgent calls to make."

He took the cash and jogged across the street on a mission. She knew he'd be back. She fed the refunded coins back into the phone and dialled Mulan's number.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, 40 chapters already. How is this possible?! And so many of you still hanging in there! Thanks so much for your ongoing support and comments, they really do keep me motivated. We're really getting somewhere now, folks.. so buckle up :)

She was on the payphone for three calls after speaking to Regina, first to Mulan, second again to Mulan again after her coins ran out and Bay handed her the change from the store. _"They said I had to buy something,"_ he had said apologetically, a packet of gum dumped into her hand along with the cash. The third call was to Ruby to let her know of Regina's impending arrival and a few instructions for keeping her safe.

When she ended her call to Ruby and turned around, she was surprised to find that Bay was still standing against the wall behind her. She sighed a heavy sigh and walked over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "That line about your mom being in the hospital was a lie, right?"

He dropped his head and didn't reply.

"You got someplace to go?" She asked. His soulful eyes looked up at her. "A home?"

He glanced away and swallowed. "Yeah."

She tightened her grip on his shoulder, still small and slender and boyish, much like Henry's. "Remember what I said, okay? Don't screw your life up over dumb stuff. You're better than that. Go home and you know... be good."

His hair swirled as his head whipped around, and there was a fire in he hadn't had before. "You don't even know me," he growled. He sucked in a breath, anguish flashing across his eyes, an expression she had seen too many times before in the faces of kids in the foster homes and group homes with her, sometimes in her own mirror. It changed to regret, but too soon he had broken her grasp and run. She didn't follow, but she did watch him with a lump in her throat and a dull ache in behind her ribs.

Once he had disappeared around the corner of the block she turned and began to run herself. She ran the whole way back to the office, and burst in through the squeaky door which startled Abe who was leaning over Glenda's desk looking at her screen. He straightened. "Jesus, Swan. You nearly gave me a heart attack. Where's the fire?"

She briefly explained the theft, what it meant, and where she was going to have to go, and he disappeared back into his office with a frown. He called out to her a few moments later. "Swan, come in here a sec."

All she could see of him when she entered was his wide back, leaning down behind his desk. He popped his head up to look at her. "You strike me as the kind of person who keeps cash on hand for emergencies, am I right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, at home, but we're not going to go back there, just in case."

"I figured that." He said, rolling his eyes. "How much do you have?"

Her eyebrows furrowed together. "What?"

"How much do you have in your stash at home?" He clarified.

She opened her mouth, not quite to object straight away, but because of her conditioned instinct to be suspicious of people's motives. But she decided this was Abe, and he and Tiny had only ever taken care of her. "Fifteen hundred." She admitted, the rest being in the bank.

His head disappeared for a moment again, then he stood and threw a roll of notes at her, which she caught clumsily against her chest. "Two grand. I know you're good for it, and consider the extra an advance on your next pay. Or a company farewell payment, depending on where you end up and whether you can come back to us."

The lump rose in her throat, she clenched her jaw to bite back the unfamiliar emotions his generosity was awakening in her. She cleared her throat, zipped the roll into her jacket pocket and tipped her chin down. "Thanks," she mumbled, turned and stepped out of his office, before glancing over her shoulder at him. 

She didn't smile, but he knew people, he could read people, and he knew good people when he saw them. Emma Swan was good people.

A few minutes later the old brown truck rumbled up outside the office door and the horn beeped loudly. Emma waved to her colleagues, not sure if she would see them again but not one for goodbyes either. She tugged the door open and clambered in next to Henry on the bench seat. "Hey, Ma!" He sounded like this was all some big adventure.

Mulan drove off as soon as the door clunked shut and Emma pulled her belt on as they drove. She wrapped her hand around Henry's head and pulled him to her and planted a kiss on the side of his head. "Hey, kid." 

"Where's David?" They hit the next red light and Mulan finally took a moment to really look at her.

She thumbed behind them. "Ditched the bug like you said, he picked us up from Henry's school, and we dropped Peter home. Back seat is a bit small for a long drive so he took his bike."

Emma frowned and leaned against Henry to look through the rear window. Sure enough, there was a leather-clad motorcyclist behind them waving at her. She waved back. "I forgot about the bike."

Mulan grinned wryly. "I think he had too. Don't think the missus likes him riding, it was pretty dusty." She looked at the man through the rear view mirror and grinned. "Good excuse for a ride, but he's gonna be sore later."

"Will you tell me what's going on now?" Henry asked, his hazel eyes seeking the truth from Emma with his insistent gaze.

She glanced to Mulan, then out the window as the truck lurched forward on the green light. "Umm, well, we're just going to get out of town for tonight."

"Is this about the man from the other night? Or the one who broke into our house?"

Emma cursed Henry being with her rather than Regina. About all she knew about talking to Henry was to not lie. Never lie. "Yeah, it is."

"Is my Mom okay?"

"I told you your Mom was okay, Henry." Mulan said while checking her blindspot to merge into the next lane.

"Yeah, she's okay, Hen." Emma confirmed. My friend, my kind of little sister is going to take care of her until we catch them up."

Mulan had already told him that Ruby was helping, so he was a little surprised but only about the way Emma had referred to her, since she had only spoken a little bit about her when he had asked about her first visit to Storybrooke, and she hadn't called her a sister then. He stared out the windscreen for a while, watching the heavy afternoon traffic begin to thin out as they got further away from the city centre. "We'll be okay." He finally said with certainty in his young voice. "All of us. I know we will."

XxxxxxxxxX

The hanging sign for Granny's swung in the breeze, and the wooden a-frame board with the daily specials stood on the street. Regina pulled the Mercedes up right out front, grateful for the mid-afternoon lull in business. 

A tall, brown-haired girl with red streaks stood up from one of the outside tables closest to the street and ran out to her, followed by a slightly shorter young man, his dark hair closely cropped and his hand rubbing the chin of his full but very shortly trimmed beard.

"Regina?"

The older woman walked around the car and stepped onto the sidewalk. "Yes, you must be Ruby." She looked at the man, her eyes darted down to the name patch sewn onto his overalls. "And Billy."

"Ma'am." He said to her with a friendly, meek smile.

Ruby grinned. "Cool, give Billy your keys and come with me."

"Excuse me?" Billy held out his hand, which she looked at for a moment before returning her eyes to the retreating girl.

She turned, continuing to walk backwards, to look back at Regina. "Emma's orders. Billy is going to take your car to his workshop, call in some security dude to check it for tracking thingamies again. In the meantime, you're coming with me to Maine."

His hand extended a little further towards her, and with a huff she unclipped her car key from the chain and dropped it into his hand. "If there is one scratch on it when I get back..." She warned, and he responded with a grin. 

"Yes ma'am." 

She strode on after Ruby, trying to appear as though she weren't trying to catch up, but also shaken by the events of that afternoon. The girl stepped out onto the road and opened the driver's door to a classic 70's red Camaro. Regina groaned inwardly, a condescending look of distate branded across her face. Grudgingly she opened the passenger door and tried to retain her dignity, but struggled with how far her dress rode up her thighs as she lowered herself down into the bucket seat. Having made it almost gracefully, she buckled up and glanced around the interior, with it's stained carpet, glove compartment held shut by a bootlace, and the missing rear seats. "Will this vehicle even make it to the state line, Miss Lucas?"

The girl grinned widely, displaying a set of brilliantly white teeth. "This beast will take you anywhere you want to go."

Regina had to admit there was something primal and alluring about the rumble of the engine, the frequency of it's vibrations at idle, and how the torque made her feel alive as Ruby gunned it away from the kerb. She watched the small, red, glass wolf dangling from the rear view mirror swing and prayed they would make it there alive.

XxxxxxxxxX

He thought he'd lost her. One of those ridiculous Smart Cars had cut him off then blocked his way as it waited to turn right, he'd wanted to ram it off the road and god knows his car was powerful enough to do so. When it finally cut across in a gap, he floored it to get to the street up ahead where he had seen the black coupe turn just a minute ago. When he turned onto the street, by some miracle, he could see it up ahead waiting at the next set of lights to turn left. They changed to green as he neared, and he hit the accelerator to make it through as well, drawing closer to a red muscle car before slamming the brakes and wrenching the wheel as the light went from amber to red.

The car in front didn't seem to react, she hadn't seen his desperate manoeuvre to catch up, and he dropped back a little way again to not draw attention to himself. After a few more turns he began to wonder where the heck she was going. The area was becoming more industrial, and they had back-tracked a little. He grew concerned that she had noticed him when with one final indication, she pulled into a car repair yard. He pulled up across the street and watched.

The rollers were all down, and only one other car was parked in the lot. The Mercedes parked in front of one of the large doors, and the driver's door opened. His jaw clenched as a man in overalls climbed out, walked over to the office door and unlocked it with a key. Moments later the roller door opened and he drove the Mercedes inside.

Burning fury climbed up his throat from where it churned in his stomach. He ran through his mind how this happened, where this had happened, he had watched her pull out of the parking garage at her office, followed her all the way here. It was definitely her car. She had only been out of his sight a minute, just a minute. He opened his door and climbed out onto the desolate street, a few specks of rain cooling his skin which was burning hot with rage.

XxxxxxxxxX

Gravel crunched under tyres as the truck and the motorbike pulled off the road and onto the cracked concrete of the gas station forecourt. Emma and Henry slid out, stretched their legs, and Mulan and David began filling their tanks. The sun was low on the horizon, not far off setting, and the long shadows danced across the ground as Henry and Emma made their way into the attached diner.

Ruby and Regina both stood up from their table in the corner, and Henry flew into his mother's arms. "Mom!"

Emma pressed herself up behind him and leaned over his head to kiss Regina on the cheek. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself. It's good to see you two." She smiled warmly, and combed her fingers through Henry's short brown hair.

Ruby introduced herself to Henry, then caught hold of Emma's forearm. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

With a glance back at her girlfriend, she allowed Ruby to lead her up one of the aisles in the convenience store area, near the checkout for the pumps. 

"Rubes, I can't thank you enough for getting her up here. Really." Emma placed her hand on top of Ruby's on her own arm.

The taller woman sighed heavily, her shoulders slumped. "Don't thank me yet, Emma." She glanced over the shelf and out the window. Emma followed her eyeline to the tree-lined edge of the rest area and felt her heart sink. She knew before Ruby even said anything. "We've got company."

The dark sedan they covertly watched over the racks of junk food was parked in the shadows between a shaggy, overgrown shrub and a dumpster, it's tail end up against a corrugated iron fence and nose pointed towards them. The angle of light and the shade from the overhanging branches prevent them from seeing into the driver's seat, but Ruby assured Emma that whoever is following them was still in it. "I noticed it about twenty minutes ago. Came racing up behind us then just dropped back. Even when I changed lanes and slowed down, it just hung back, then followed us off the highway. It parked up and no one got out. I thought it best we just wait for you in here, figured you'd see the beast."

"Yeah, I did. Lucky she's an eye-catcher. It's a bitch not having my phone." Emma sighed and watched as David moved his now refuelled bike over to the parking area alongside another eight or so motorbikes owned by the small crowd of leather-clad bikers happily munching on burgers in the corner of the diner. She bit her lip, teeth fussing at a piece of dry skin. "I have an idea."

She grinned and patted Ruby's arm as she passed her, and strode up to the bikers. "Hey guys!"

The group of mostly bearded, mostly leather-clad men looked up at her. A very tall, skinny, pale-faced youth wiped his mouth on his napkin and a fit-looking, shaven-headed, young black man smiled warmly at her. 

"Hey yourself, little lady." She smiled broadly at the man who had spoken to her, a big, burly man, his long, curly, dark hair tied back at the nape of his neck, his scraggy beard holding hostage as many sesame seeds from his burger bun as there were beads of sweat on his pink forehead.

She leaned forward and put her hands on the edge of their table, a conglomeration of a number of tables pulled together into a line. It was quite amusing to her how they had all wanted to sit together, but she brushed the thought aside. "Say, do any of you gentlemen happen to have a spare helmet?"


	41. Chapter 41

Patience was not really his strong suit. Sure, he could maintain his distance when he needed to, when he believed it would be beneficial to the outcome to restrain oneself, but that didn't make it easy to just sit and watch. It was all he felt he had done lately, and since that Swan woman had involved herself in his business, he knew it would take more than his patience to win against her.

But still he sat. He sat and watched as the skinny brunette with the red streaked hair put fuel in her car, that damn car he had seen in the street where he lost them the first time, and he ground his teeth at the time he had wasted and risks he had taken in trying to catch up. He was good though, he had found them, and they didn't seem to have noticed him. 

Regina had gone inside, and the other one parked the car then went inside the store as well. He checked his gauge, he didn't need fuel, but he did need the bathroom, but what he needed more was to not be seen. Not yet. He leaned across to the small, black trash bag hanging from the centre console and fished out the vitamin water bottle he'd finished drinking an hour ago. It would have to do. He turned the key and lowered the window a little to clear the smell of urine.

He figured that they had to be eating in there, for them to be taking so long. His own stomach rumbled, but the only thing edible he had with him in the car was a small bag of jellybeans. He popped one in his mouth and put the rest back into the glove compartment. 

A number of motorbikes pulled up, men of all shapes and sizes refuelled and parked up, disappearing inside with laughter and a few playful shoves back and forth. He wondered if Regina would be okay, and if she wasn't, maybe if he rescued her she would forgive him. He couldn't see much through the windows, but it looked like the men all sat down a way away from where he could see the two dark-haired women sitting.

Soon after, a truck pulled up with another motorbike. He sat up straighter in his seat and leaned forward over the steering wheel, his jaw setting and eyes locking onto the woman who made his blood boil just thinking about. Her long blonde hair fell over her blue jacket, and she ran her fingers through the hair of Regina's son. The driver, the friend who had been with Regina both times he had visited her after Walter's stupid mistake, Hua Mulan, was talking to the tall, blond motorcyclist at the pump next to her.

He scowled as the blonde and the child joined Regina in the diner, followed soon after by the others. He waited, and watched, and rolled his neck.

A short time later, the blonde emerged again with a couple of the original bikers. They all walked over to where the bikes were lined up, and the big guy, built like a refrigerator, handed her a helmet from the back of one of them. She tied up her hair and coiled it up over her head, then pulled the helmet down, adjusted the chin strap, and wiggled her head around. The small brim above the face guard bobbed as she nodded, and from her pocket she drew a wad of cash and counted off a couple of bills, and gave them to the guy.

They went back inside again, helmet in hand, and he checked his watch. The sun was getting quite low, it would be harder to remain unnoticed when tailing them if he waited much longer, and he considered going on ahead since he was fairly sure of the destination point anyway. He decided to wait five more minutes, then he would leave and await their arrival.

In two minutes, a couple of the bikers came out and put their helmets on. The Asian woman and the boy then exited the diner. The boy carried a plastic bag containing what appeared to be snack foods. They climbed into the truck and pulled out of the parking lot back onto the highway. He frowned and wondered if she was Regina's nanny now since she always seemed to be with Henry, although no childcare jobs had shown up in the background check he had run on her. He hadn't wanted to waste all his favours though, so he only knew the basics about her. 

The first handful of bikers rode away and a few minutes later the second batch came out the door. With them was the blonde guy that had arrived with the truck, and Swan. Her blue jacket was zipped right up now, and she fiddled with the chin-strap. The blonde guy clapped her on the shoulder and she gave him a thumbs up. He flicked out the pillion passenger footrests and she climbed on behind him. The group of them rode out to the street and pulled out on the highway.

He wondered what was taking Regina so long. She and that skinny girl were the first to arrive. He could see movement inside the store end of the building, but not much detail behind the motor oil and junk food posters taped up to the windows. 

Five minutes ticked by, then another. Then, finally as he was about to give up again and go on ahead, the door opened and the skinny girl jogged over to her car. He scooted upright in his leather seat and put his hand on the keys in the ignition. The Camaro reversed across the yard, and the store door opened again.

"Shit!" He cursed aloud and started the engine. "Fucking bitch!" He slammed the car into drive and hit the gas. Gravel flicked up from under his spinning tyres and hit the fence like a shotgun blast. 

The blonde, now wearing the pale grey dress that Regina had been wearing, coat draped over her arm, flinched and hurried forward, leaping into the sports car without any of the grace that her name would suggest she possessed.

His black sedan hit the highway first, followed by the bouncing tail-end of the Camaro. They raced up and past the speed limit. He wasn't trying to outrun them so much as to catch the group of bikes that Regina was riding with, although he estimated with their head-start and the distance to Storybrooke it was unlikely. Still, he would feel better to have her in sight. After a while the Camaro dropped back.

Half an hour or so later, he noticed that the Camaro was even further behind than it had been. He glanced over at his GPS and saw that he was coming to the junction where the turn-off to the back-road into Storybrooke would take them off into the forest to their right. He glanced in his rear-view, wondering if that was the reason the car backed off, so he slowed and watched them closely, ready to perform a U-turn, only to see them also drive past the side road as well. He eased back on the accelerator but stayed under the speed limit, deciding there would be no benefit in being pulled over.

XxxxxxxxxX

"Just hold on tight, okay?" She clipped the chin strap and ran her hands all the way down the arms of her own jacket, now wrapped around Regina's slightly smaller frame. They held hands for a brief moment, then the shorter woman broke the contact and took another look over her girlfriend, the dress which was already quite tight on her looked constricting around Emma's chest, and it sat even higher on her hips, coming only to mid thigh. She was barefoot, Regina's shoes being slightly too small, but even with the flat sole of Emma's boots she was still a little shorter than the blonde.

"I know how to ride horses, Emma. I'm sure I'll be fine." Her voice was firm and reassuring, both knowing the concern was less about Regina being able to stay on the bike and more about staying alive in general. "We'll be fine."

Emma nodded. "Yes. And Henry will be fine. He's still there, he didn't follow them. Mulan will keep him safe. Graham's got eyes on your parents. Mary-Margaret is on her way to meet us."

"Are you sure you don't want us to just go over there and deal with him?" John offered again, almost like a teenager begging for a later curfew. 

Regina's voice was slightly muffled behind the helmet. "He's employed by the Boston Police Department, and he has contacts across the country. At least one former government employee in Maine, I have no idea how many more. Your plan could only end badly." 

David stepped forward, his own jacket now zipped and his helmet in his hand. "Yes, and Emma's right, he's parked far enough away that he'll see us coming and drive off. As far as we know, he doesn't actually know that we know he's there." He paused, his eyes flicked up to the ceiling and his lips moved as he replayed in his head what he'd just said to confirm it made sense. He wasn't the most eloquent of men so it wasn't the prettiest sentence, but it was right. "It's better to keep eyes on him and lure him away." He turned to his daughter. "I still think some of the men should hang back and go with you two."

She shook her head. "No. It was suspicious enough sending those few guys to escort Mulan and Henry. Splitting again would only draw more attention. He's after Regina, you guys should all stay with Regina. He'll probably take off as soon as he sees me, we'll just follow behind him and call you if he takes the back-road." She turned to Regina. "That reminds me. Give me your phone, just in case he's tracking it."

Regina handed it over and Emma immediately popped the back cover off and took out the battery. She patted down the tight dress and growled, Ruby chuckled behind her and took the pieces out of her hand. "I hate not having pockets," she grumbled. David leaned over to the next booth, collected Regina's pea-coat and handed it to her, and she gave him a grateful smile. "Okay, let's do this."

The helmet prevented her giving Regina a kiss, but she took her hand and kissed the back of it. The older woman pulled her into a hug, bulky helmet awkwardly blocking some of the intimacy but the warmth of each others' bodies compensated for it.

"Don't forget the swagger, Regina." Ruby grinned. "Should be a hark back to your horse-riding days as well."

Emma pursed her lips and glared good-naturedly at Ruby. John lead the way out the door, David following up the rear. As Regina strutted with all the butchness she could muster out the door and around the corner to the parking lot, Emma caught her father's eye. The exchange was wordless, void even of gestures, but the understanding to keep her safe was almost telepathic.

Long arms wrapped around her as a warm body pressed into her from behind. "It'll be okay, Ems." She raised her hand up and held onto Ruby's forearm, rested across her collarbone. They watched the group leave, the car stayed in the shadows. The forecourt lights reflected off the windscreen in two spots, and it reminded her of Gmork in The Neverending Story movie -- the black wolf hiding in the cave, eyes glowing. She always did identify more with Atreyu than Bastion, and his words came to mind. _"I will not die easily. I am a warrior."_

They waited the ten minutes they had planned for, and Ruby patted her on the backside as she jogged out to get the car. Emma squished her feet into Regina's pumps, the back pinched her heel and her toes squeezed together uncomfortably. As soon as she stepped foot out the door she saw the movement and heard the engine roar to life across the forecourt. She leapt into the passenger door that Ruby had leaned across to open for her. Her feet were barely in when the car lurched forward and bounced out onto the road. 

"Jesus, Ruby!" Emma scrambled to right herself and clip in her seatbelt. "We only have to keep him in sight, not perform a PIT manoeuvre on him!"

The younger woman grinned but didn't take her eyes off the road. "Sorry, got a little bit excited there."

Headlights were switched on as the sun met the horizon, and Emma bit her lip while she looked at the hand-drawn map David had given her and Google map on Ruby's phone.

"There are no other side-roads for miles." 

Her voice was low and the engine was loud, but Ruby still heard her somehow. "Yeah, so?"

Emma looked up to the road, the tail-lights of the sedan in the distance in front of them. "If we drop back and let him go, and he ends up slowing or stopping, or realises that we're not behind him any more, he's going to know where we turned off."

A frown settled on Ruby's face. "Shit. Well, we'll have to keep going then. Lose him in town and then backtrack."

"Yeah." Emma agreed, it was what she would have suggested they do anyway, but she still wasn't happy about being separated from Regina and Henry for even longer. "I'll let Mary-Margaret know."

She tapped in the message, having loaded David and Ruby's phones with everyone's numbers, and removing the battery from Mulan's just in case it had been compromised, although she still had it with her for emergencies. Less than a minute after she sent the text the phone rang.

 _"Emma, I got your message."_

"Yeah, we're about five minutes from the turn-off I guess, but we're gonna blow straight past unless he takes the turn."

_"That's the best thing to do. Everyone is already up at the cabin. I was just heading down again to come and get you two but I'll head back instead and help get everything set up."_

"And the bikers?"

_"They're in the barn, they can see the road from there, they'll leave after you guys go past. Or they'll block the road if he tries to come this way. David has John's number, he'll let him know the new plan. You just let me know when you're heading back and I'll bring the truck down and open up the barn."_

"The barn?"

_"David said you two are in a Corvette."_

Emma chuckled. "It's a Camaro. Don't ever tell her you called it that."

"What did she call my baby?!" Ruby exclaimed.

 _"Oops,"_ Mary-Margaret said exaggeratedly. _"Still, either way, a sports car won't make it up the track. We'll park it in the barn with David's bike and I'll take you to the cabin in my truck. Oh Emma, I think you'll like it up here. It will be like us all camping together!"_

"Okay, yeah." There was an edge of frustration in her voice that made Mary-Margaret wonder if she was responsible for it. "I'll message you later."

 _"Be safe, Emma,"_ her mother said, and Emma felt a tightening in her chest again.

"Thanks, Mar. We will."

She ended the call and sighed.

"What's up with you?"

Emma glared across at the driver. "What do you mean what's up with me?"

Bright blue eyes glanced across at her before locking back on the road. "You've tensed right up. What's going on?"

The blonde scowled silently and fiddled with the phone to get Google maps running again. "We're coming up to the turn."

She looked up and they watched the car in front, which seemed to have slowed to their speed, and both breathed a sigh of relief as it drove straight past the turn-off. The road became more winding as the climbed up through the forest, the headlights occasionally catching glowing eyes reflected from amongst the trees.

"I'm just worried." Emma said quietly. She rested her elbow on the centre consol. Ruby's hand slid down off the gearshift and gently pried open her fingers. "About Regina, and Henry. Everyone is following my lead on this and... what if I screw it up, Rubes?"

"People are following your lead because your ideas are good. You're logical, you think of possible consequences that we don't, and, well, you just know a lot of shit, okay? Everyone trusts you because of all that, and because we know that you would never put any of us in danger. You're like, the biggest protector there is. You'd try to keep the whole world safe if you could."

Emma rubbed her eye, more out of exhaustion than any emotional release. That wasn't Emma's style. Her jaw clenched and relaxed. "Yeah, well, I can't protect everyone."

Ruby was gaining on the car in front slightly, still trying to keep him in sight while still maintaining enough distance to lose him easily once they reached town. "No, you're only one person. Focus on your family."

The pitch of her voice rose from her constricted throat, and she spoke only quietly. "I don't know how to do families."

With those words, Ruby knew that Emma had opened up another layer and she felt honoured. "Your heart knows what family is, babe. Your heart has always known, it just never found it. Not really." She glanced across again at the blonde staring out the window, thumbnail in between her teeth. "Until now."

Green eyes met hers the next time she looked over, and silence hung in the air. "Until now."

Ruby's heart warmed and she sighed. "Now you get to have it. And _do it_ ," she grinned cheekily, "just listen to that big ol' heart of yours Emma, it'll lead the way."

A few minutes later they crested the hill and through the trees the twinkling lights of Storybrooke came into view. The sedan wove it's way down the hill, coming more into view as the trees thinned out and the streetlights began. 

"Do we keep following him to see where he goes or bail out?" Ruby asked.

Emma bit her nail again. "He knows we're following him, he's not going to go anywhere incriminating. But I also don't really like the idea of just leaving him here."

"Regina said Graham will look out for her parents."

"Yeah, and Marian is leaving Raf with his dad and will stay with them too." A wry smile tugged at her lips. "Apparently she's Mary-Margaret's best archery student to date, and she has her bow with her. These guys and their bows and arrows, it's so weird. Sometimes it feels more like Medieval England than New England up this way." They both laughed.

"So we--"

Up ahead, Sidney had reached an intersection where the stop sign should really be a yield because the visibility is so good. He'd rolled right through it, as most people did, and immediately there were red and blue lights flashing behind him. The women looked at each other and laughed again. 

"Go past him, we'll loop through town, I know how to get back up to that street we just went past." Emma directed. Surprisingly, the man who stepped out of the police car wasn't Graham, but instead was a short, stocky man with a dark beard. 

She typed a message to her mother, a simple _Be there in 15!_ and sighed in uneasy, temporary relief.


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't normally listen to music while I write, but I tried it out for this chapter, and it was pretty good. I listened to a lot of Mia Dyson, by which I mean I pretty much listened to Tell Me and When We're Older over and over. (You can download em for free by signing up for her newsletter.) I also have re-stocked the red wine since my muse decidedly did not like the abrupt change to white.

A few hundred yards up the side road off the main highway, they spotted the gate. Emma hobbled across the uneven ground in her bare feet and opened the gate, and closed it again behind the car after Ruby drove through. They drove slowly up the slightly overgrown but fairly even path, headlights eventually illuminating the large wooden barn, and Mary-Margaret waving in the doorway.

Ruby drove inside and the women hopped out, the darkness only kept at bay by the small lamp that Mary-Margaret had set to the side while she hauled the large doors closed and looped a chain through the handles.

"Hey, Mar." Emma walked over and gently placed her hand in the middle of her mother's back. 

Mary-Margaret turned and enveloped her in a hug, which the blonde reciprocated a moment later. "I'm so glad you made it here safe and sound." She turned to Ruby and pulled her in for a hug as well, Ruby raised her eyebrows at Emma over her back, and Emma smiled amusedly in reply. "It's good to see you again too, Ruby."

"Yeah, you too, Ms B."

They followed the older woman out and further up the track to a locked gate. Emma trailed behind, still struggling without the too-small shoes she had left in the car, and she stumbled to the side when there was a rustling and the sound of hooves off to the side. 

"It's only the sheep, don't worry about them." Mary-Margaret assured her.

Emma grumbled and tugged the dress down a little further. "Only sheep, she says. I've seen them head-butt people. Probably think it's hilarious." Her eyes scanned all around her, in the few yards she could see.

Mary-Margaret and Ruby climbed over the gate easily, Emma heaved an exaggerated sigh and hoisted her dress up her thighs again.

"Oh! Hang on, I have the key in the truck if you want to wait a minute." There was another patter of hooves behind her and Emma grabbed hold of the top rail. Ruby chuckled as she watched for a moment, then stepped forward and took hold of Emma, one arm around her chest and the other tucked under her thigh. 

A high-pitched squeak escaped Emma's throat as she felt the younger woman lift her over the gate and place her down on the soft grass. She cleared her throat and brushed her hands over her dress. "Thanks, Rubes."

She was grateful for her upper body strength when it came to climbing into the truck. She couldn't step quite high enough with the constrictive clothing, so just growled and hoisted herself in by hanging onto the handle over the door on interior roof and the door itself. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up." She said to the grinning women already in the vehicle.

The engine of the old Wagoneer rumbled to life, and Mary-Margaret navigated it up the barely visible rutted path through the trees, skirting around the side of the hill before looping back around. As they drew closer they could see the dim light escaping around shuttered windows, and the headlights reflected from the headlamps of David's truck, reverse parked next to the house so it was facing them.

Mary-Margaret pulled up next to it and cut the engine. "Ruby, can you grab the duffel back from over in the back please?" She patted Emma's bare knee. "It has a change of clothes in it."

Emma breathed a sigh of relief and slid out, bare feet hitting the cool, wet grass. The door to the wooden cabin opened and the silhouette of her father took up most of the frame. "Hi girls, you made it! Welcome to Casa del Sheppard"

A smaller silhouette squeezed out next to him. "Ma!" Henry ran out and threw his arms around her. 

She curled her head over his, her arms around his little body, and she drank in the fruity scent of his shampoo. "Hey, kid."

When she looked up, David had moved to the side and Regina stood next to him, Mulan visible in the background, still inside the cabin. "Hey."

Henry let her go and ran back inside. "Emma, you have to see what we found!"

Regina smiled, the blue jacket wrapped almost as tightly around her as her own arms. "Hi." The blonde walked up to Regina and took her into her arms, and she felt warm lips press against her neck. 

"He's in Storybrooke?"

With a squeeze, Emma reassured her. "Yeah, pulled over by a cop, last we saw." After a moment she pulled away and turned slightly, Ruby passed between the pair and David, and he rested his hand on Mary-Margaret's back to guide her inside. 

He smiled at his daughter and Regina. "Come on, Emma. Let me show you the place."

Regina lead them in, her hand in Emma's, and David closed the door behind them. "This is the kitchen-dining-living room, as you can see." The open-plan cabin was quite small, full without seeming too cluttered, the furniture and appliances were practical, and quite economical on space. The walls, floors and ceiling were all wood, a few oil paintings of landscapes, both familiarly Maine and somewhere different somehow hung on the walls, and a fire burned in the pot-belly fireplace in the corner. 

Henry came running out of the hallway carrying two wooden swords, the handles wrapped in leather and the tips fairly blunt-looking, although the way Henry held them, they appeared to be fairly heavy. "Whoa, kid! What have you got there?"

David held his hand out and Henry handed one over to him. "My brother and I carved these when we were boys. We used to practice sword-fighting out in the paddocks."

"This was your house?" Emma frowned. "I thought you were rich?" Ruby snickered, and Emma reconsidered her words. "Sorry."

He laughed. "It's okay. We were. This was the house my mother grew up in. My grandparents never liked my father, so when they passed away and he found out that they'd left it to an obscure family trust they had constructed which kept it out of his hands, he was pretty annoyed. The land was leased to the neighbouring farmer who wanted more grazing. It worked out though, she left him when she fell sick and he didn't take care of her, she didn't have it in her to fight him but she had the lease money to fall back on."

"So the cabin is yours now?"

He looked around the room, eyes moist with nostalgia. "Yes. I rarely come here any more, though. Too many memories."

Emma looked around again and struggled with what to say. "Oh. Well, it's nice. It's very clean." She observed.

Her father frowned. "Yes, it is."

Mary-Margaret put her hands up. "It was me. I admit it." She looked sheepishly at David. "I still come up here sometimes to check on it, clean it, that sort of thing." His mouth formed a small o shape. "I hope that's okay. I just... it has memories for me too."

"You too?" Emma asked, and watched as a pink flush bloomed across Mary-Margaret's face. She began to regret her question when David rubbed the back of his head and looked away.

"Uhh... yes. Yes. You, uhh, you were conceived here, Emma."

Emma squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh, okay. I... didn't really need to know that."

Her mother actually giggled before she apologized, and they stood awkwardly a few moments until Emma had to hurriedly lift her arms up to catch the duffel bag Ruby had thrown at her. "The only thing in this room more awkward than that conversation is Emma in that dress. Go get changed." 

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at Ruby's light relief, none moreso than Mulan who grinned at her from her seat at the small dining table. Ruby flopped down next to her and they began chatting.

David lead the pair across to the only other door in the room, and they stepped through into a small hallway. "Bathroom," he pointed to the first door, "twin room," he pointed to the second and grinned, "pun intended." He opened the door at the end of the hallway. "We figured you, Regina and Henry could share this room." 

The queen-sized bed in the master bedroom appeared to be freshly made and covered with a home-made quilt. A small bedside lamp was lit, and Emma dropped the bag onto the bed and walked over to where an old sepia-toned photo hung on the wall of a young woman, blond-haired twin boys sitting in her lap and a lamb at her side.

"Who would like a cocoa?" Mary-Margaret asked from the doorway, and David pressed himself against the wall so she could see past him to the younger women in the room. "Or tea?" After Emma had requested a cocoa and Regina a tea, David had closed the door behind himself to give them some privacy. 

The brunette reached out, took Emma's hands and interlocked their fingers. She leaned in to kiss her, a soft, chaste kiss, then foreheads rested together.

"Nice swagger back at the gas station, by the way." Emma smiled and bumped their noses together.

Regina pulled back and looked her in the eye. "Oh you liked that, did you?"

Her girlfriend grinned and pinched either side of her own jacket. "You look pretty good in my clothes. You looked pretty natural on the back of that bike, too. I was a little bit jealous of my dad for a moment there."

"Hmmm." Manicured hands tickled at the neckline of Emma's dress, then dragged down her body, over the slim belt, and rested on curved hips. "You look rather good in my clothes as well."

The blonde screwed up her face. "Except for not being able to breathe properly. I've been worried for the past hour that I was going to bust a seam somewhere and I'd never hear the end of it."

"Well we can't have that." Regina purred. She moved around the taller woman and drew the zip down her back. Her hands pressed flat lightly on Emma's back and slid outwards over her shoulders, the fabric stretching then falling down to her waist once her arms were freed. Hands dipped low, trying to ease the fabric over hips without taking her underwear with them. Once it reached the floor, she stepped out of it, and Regina lifted it up, folded it, and placed it on the dresser. She shivered as dark eyes raked over her nearly naked form, and stiffened as footsteps pounded down the hallway.

"Mom! Ma! Your drinks are ready!" Henry called out through the door.

Regina lowered her hand from where she had held it up preventatively in case her son had forgotten his manners and tried to barge in. "Thank you, Henry. We will be out shortly."

Emma changed into the dark brow leggings, light brown t-shirt and cream-coloured roll-neck sweater from Mary-Margaret's bag. The fluffy white socks sat over the top of the ankles of her pants, but somehow the ensemble didn't appear as 80s as she thought it would.

They joined the group in the living room, Mulan and Ruby had moved over to the fireplace and sat cross-legged on the floor. David and Mary-Margaret stood opposite each other at the kitchen counter, with Henry to their side, regaling them with some story. Mary-Margaret looked so happy she could cry, and Emma realised it was the first time she had seen Henry since finding out that he was her own blood. 

The women took a seat at the small dining table, and the group chatted for a long while, catching up on the latest happenings in everyone's lives until Henry's eyelids began to droop and Regina guided him off to bed. She returned a few minutes later and closed the door into the hallway.

"So," Emma said. "I suppose we should all get on the same page here."

Mary-Margaret tucked a leg up underneath her on the sofa and looked at Regina with genuine concern. "Regina, what is going on with this man?"

Regina's jaw muscles tightened. "I don't exactly know. He seems to have become obsessed with me for some reason. I underestimated his... attachment... until today when he arranged to have Emma's cellphone stolen so as to lure me to a deserted location. Then he followed us up here."

"I think he had something to do with the break-in at Regina's after Thanksgiving, there's some link between Sidney and the company paying for the perp's lawyer."

"What company are you talking about?" Regina asked, and stood up to take her teacup back to the kitchen.

Emma shrugged. "A real estate company. Spin something? No, Spun. Spun Investments." 

The teacup dropped from Regina's hand, and she fumbled as she tried to catch it but it caught the edge of the side table. She held the chipped cup in her hand and stared at the broken piece on the floor.

"It's one of mine, not an antique," Mary-Margaret said, picking it up for her. "It's okay."

"No, it really isn't." Regina said huskily.


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry it's been three weeks! I lost my mojo, then started a new job, and yeah.. been thinking a lot about how to get over this hump and I think I'm just gonna have to knuckle down and work my way through it as I go, so please forgive me! I'm going to skip the Sidney-centric chapter, I want this story from Swan-Mills (& Charming, I guess) perspectives and I'm pretty sure I can get everything in that I want. I only wrote the Sidney scene at the service station to do the bait and switch, but I think at some point I'll re-write it. Apologies again for the long time between updates.

After countless hours of staring at the ceiling, the creaks and groans of the cabin settling and the scratching of the wind-jostled leaves against the window had become familiar to Emma. She concentrated on the slow and steady breathing of her bedmates, Regina next to her, curled slightly towards Henry on the opposite side of the too-small bed. Each of his inhales was accompanied by a little gurgling snore.

Emma licked her dry lips again, and her stomach rumbled. There hadn't been a lot of food in the cabin, and the truck-stop snacks Mulan and Henry didn't eat on the journey had only stretched so far. She hadn't felt very hungry anyway once the anxiety took hold again, so she'd insisted the others eat her share and said she'd already eaten in the car ride with Ruby, who had given her a tight-jawed look across the room but not said anything.

Her eyes traced along the crack in the ceiling, spreading out from the corner like splintering ice atop a puddle in a morning thaw. Her as her eyes followed each branch of the crack, her brain followed each thread of knowledge.

Gold was involved. Somehow, he was involved. Regina had known about his property investment company, had even known that his company owned the building they both lived in, and she had learned that it was through Gold that she was able to secure such an amazing apartment at such a good price. A thank you to her, he had said, for all her hard work supporting his career. And now his company was paying for the legal defence of the man who had intruded upon her home.

She thought back to the phone call she had received from the property management agent while she was still in Portland to tell her that the apartment lease she had applied for was no longer available, but there was a much better option which she ended up taking. She had thought at the time that the agents in Boston were much more helpful and friendly than those in Portland, but knowing what she now knew, she had the sickening feeling that Gold had pulled all the strings to ensure she and Regina were in the same building. How many rental agents were ever that helpful to a first-time leaseholder from across the country?

They had all been concerned to learn of Gold's involvement, especially because Regina knew that Gold and Sidney knew each other, and Gold knew of the Sheppard Cabin's existence and location. It had been late though, and they'd decided to stay and keep watch in shifts. David and Mulan took the first, Mulan being still wide awake and full of energy from the extra large energy drink from the service station that she'd chugged, something she normally never drank.

Emma looked across at her girlfriend, her face relaxed and lips slightly parted. She moved her arm from behind her head because it had started to go numb, and she rolled towards the brunette. Regina made a little noise, smacked her lips and stretched slightly, still fast asleep. The chain effect caused Henry to wriggle, and he kicked out under the blankets, catching Regina in the shin. She jerked awake, rolled backwards, and her elbow connected with Emma's sternum. The blonde curled forward, her knee raised up and caught Regina firmly on the back of the thigh.

They both grunted and mumbled apologies and rubbed gentle fingers over the other's tender points. Regina licked her lips and blinked her eyes until they focussed on the large, dark pupils of her lover.

"I told you he kicks." She said, barely opening her mouth in an effort to contain the morning breath she could taste in her stale saliva. She ran her tongue around her mouth and swallowed a few times.

"You told me he snores."

They both listened to him for a moment. "Both are true. What time is it?" 

"Probably time for me to get up and wake Ruby to take over from David and Mulan." She lifted her head to look over Regina's.

Regina ran her thumb over the large bags under Emma's eyes. "Did you get any sleep?"

Emma caught her hand and kissed it twice. "Not really, but I'll live."

She frowned. "You should stay here then. I'll get up."

"No, really. I'm okay." She pulled the blanket back and slid out, and shivered with the absence of close body heat. She slipped off the leggings, threw them on the bed, and shimmied into her reclaimed jeans.

Regina drew the leggings up over her bare legs and pulled a face as she adjusted her bra she didn't normally sleep in through Emma's tank-top she still wore. "Thanks. I do prefer not sleeping in just my panties next to my son."

With her sweater tugged down over her mother's t-shirt, she grinned. "Better you than me."

"How do you figure that?"

"You're his mom, surely he's seen you in your panties before. Or bathing suit." She slid her feet into her boots and jiggled the zip up.

Regina frowned. "Well, yes, I suppose. But you're his mother too."

Emma looked up, glanced at Henry, and back at Regina. "I guess so. I dunno. You're the one who has always been there with him though." She pulled the other boot on and walked as quietly as she could back to the bedside. Regina had wriggled into the spot she had vacated only a moment ago, away from the kicking legs of their boy. Her hand cupped her face as she pressed her lips to Regina's. "Sleep well, beautiful."

Ruby woke with a start, her hand swung out and hit the wall next to the narrow single bed. They both looked across at Mary-Margaret in the other bed, still soundly sleeping.

"I fucking hate single beds," Ruby growled and rolled out of bed already fully dressed, sans shoes. Emma smiled and lead the way out of the small second bedroom into the living room. The fireplace burned low, the room not cold, but not as comfortably warm as when they had all been in there hours before. Ruby filled the ancient electric jug on and rinsed the two mugs that she and Emma had used the night before while the blonde wrapped her jacket a little tighter around herself and stepped out onto the porch. 

Two sets of eyes turned to her from their huddled blanket mounds on the porch chairs. Mulan looked relieved, the energy drink having worn off and she was clearly fighting her body's need to sleep. "Hey."

David smiled. "Hey, you're a bit early."

Emma shrugged a shoulder. "Couldn't sleep anyway, may as well let you guys catch some zeds."

Her father stood and wrapped the white blanket around her, it's purple satin trim soft and cool against her face, but the blanket itself warm with body heat. She settled into his chair and pulled her knees up to her chest, the blanket wrapped tightly around her.

Ruby emerged a minute later, two cups of black tea in her hand. "Not much milk left, sorry."

"It's alright. It's hot and caffeinated, it'll do." She held the mug in her hands, warming them up, and she inhaled the steam that wisped from its surface.

The younger woman curled up on the other chair and pulled up the red blanket that Mulan had been snuggled beneath moments ago and her breath formed silvery clouds. They listened to the crickets, the wind in the trees, and the occasional bleat of a sheep.

"What's she gonna do?" Ruby finally spoke.

Emma sighed. "Well tomorrow we're going to go to town and see if he stayed, and I think she's going to talk to her parents. I think we all know that she has to report this to Boston PD, but it's going to be a shit-fight. He's one of them, you know?"

"Yeah." Ruby grimaced. "Graham says any cop worth his salt wouldn't stand for a bad seed in their ranks, but I think he's being naive."

"Well, he is small-town born and raised, Rubes." Emma said, and Ruby grunted. A moment's silence hung in the air. "He's a good guy," she followed up.

"Yeah." She said, and Emma could hear her smile in that single word.

Their second cups of tea were drunk well before there was any light on the horizon, Emma having crept inside and managed to not wake Mulan, passed out on the couch, feet hanging over the end and her arm draped over her eyes. The birds were the first sign of dawn, and they chirped and sang in the darkness, driven by some sense of time greater than the weary humans huddled on their wooden chairs.

They heard it before they saw anything, the sound of tyres rolling over gravel carried through the air, and headlights came into view in the valley below. Ruby's blanket was tossed aside as she leapt to her feet and ran to the corner of the porch and leaned on the railing. 

Emma's blood ran cold in her veins, and she stood and shed her blanket, though she didn't need the icy blast to wake up her any more than she already was.

"Maybe it's the neighbour?" Ruby offered, watching it approach the barn and the gate across the driveway to the cabin. 

They watched.

It turned toward the gate and stopped, and by the interruption in the headlight beams, the driver was out of the vehicle trying to open the gate.

"Fuck. Watch him!" Emma yelled, and tore the cabin door open. "Mulan!" She shook her friend vigorously. "Someone's here!"

The bleary-eyed woman rolled off the couch with a thud, then sprung to her feet and out the door. Emma ran down the hall and burst into the small second bedroom. "Dad! Mom! There's a car at the gate!" Mary-Margaret and David threw off their blankets and clambered out of their beds, and Emma walked quickly to the next room. She leaned down and shook Regina.

"Regina!" She whispered urgently. "Wake up!"

Brown eyes opened. "'ma?" 

"Stay in here with Henry. Someone's at the gate. We're... we're on it." 

She turned to leave but long fingers wrapped around her wrist. "Don't leave me!"

"I have to." Emma placed her hand over top of Regina's and pulled her wrist free. "I'll be back." She turned and left, almost colliding with David who was trying to pull his shoes on as he hurried down the hallway, something solid connected with her hip.

Mulan, Ruby and Mary-Margaret were already standing on the porch, Mary-Margaret's bow in her hand, a quiver of arrows slung over her shoulder. Mulan held one of the wooden training swords, Ruby the other. 

"Did he go?" She asked, the headlights no longer visible, the only light the soft glow of the first rays of dawn as they leaked into the black sky.

Ruby shook her head. "Gate's padlocked, he's coming on foot."

She placed her hand on Mulan's shoulder. "You're best with hand-to-hand. Stay with them?" Her friend's jaw clenched and although Emma knew she would have preferred to be on the front line, she nodded and handed Emma the training sword. 

David brushed past her and down the steps, the sound of metal drew all their attention. He gave the sword a quick inspection, then slid it back into it's scabbard, which hung from a leather strap across his chest from his opposite shoulder.

"What the hell?"

"James was always better than me, but I do alright." He looked at the group of women staring at him. "Who's coming?"

Emma cocked her head at Ruby, who wordlessly joined David on the grass. She turned to her mother, blocked her path, and looked at the bow in her hand.

"You stay here, in case he gets past us." Mary-Margaret nodded her acquiescence.

David hesitated as they jogged toward the gate to the cabin's yard. He pointed to the side of the driveway. "There's a foot-track shortcut over here. He's never been here so chances are he's coming up the main track, but..."

"We don't want to leave it unprotected." Ruby said.

"We have Mary-Margaret." Emma said, though she sounded unconvinced.

David looked at the dirt path. "I don't think we should split up. What if he's armed? He'll have a better shot at Mary-Margaret than she will at him, if he's hides somewhere in this scrub."

"He doesn't know that we know he's coming though." Emma looked around. "Maybe we should let him come to us and make the element of surprise our advantage, not his."

Her father looked between them. "Sounds good. Why don't we go in there, half way between the foot track and the main track, so we can go whichever way I hear him coming."

Emma looked in the thick scrub and knew her clumsiness would give away their position as soon as she tried to move. Ruby was always silent and sure-footed, and David was familiar with the property. "Yeah, you two go in there. I'm going to lay in wait up there." She pointed along the top side of the track, a spot that would have good visibility, if the sun would only rise a little faster.

David frowned but Emma ran off before he could protest. He glanced at the younger girl next to him, then lead her down the track before cutting inwards to their central spot.

Meanwhile, Emma scrambled up the hillside, heading for further along so she could see further down the track but realised there was no cover. She lay instead on a mound, the wooden sword next to her. Something dug into her, and she shifted and put her hand in her pocket. Regina's small cannister of pepper spray was there still, Emma having taken it from Regina's purse at the service station and given it to her to keep on her, just in case. She shifted her jacket to the side and rested her chin on her hands as the cold seeped up through her now-damp sweater.

Her breathing was heavy, partly from exertion, partly from adrenaline. She managed to slow it, though she shivered with the coldness settling into her bones, and her eyes drooped despite her racing heart. 

Eventually she heard footsteps and every muscle in her body pulled taut. She shifted slightly and gripped the handle of the sword. She could barely make out the shape of a man walking towards her, and as he got closer she shifted, twisted on her spot... and felt the ground give way underneath her, clumps of dirt tumbling next to her as she slid down the steep bank and landed on the track without a clue where her sword was. She wondered where the hell David and Ruby were, though her abrupt entrance into the fray had likely caught them off guard as well.

The dark figure leaned over her and said something she could make out, and she scrabbled and struggled, and her heart pounded in her ears, until she reached what she was searching for and held the pepper spray out in front of herself.

He pushed her hand away, the cannister falling from her grip, and he coughed and spluttered in the burning spray. "Emma, stop! Stop!" The voice was raspy and barely audible.

She stopped struggling as Ruby and David burst out and pulled the pair apart. David hoisted Emma up to a sitting position, his eyes watering, possibly from the remnants of the spray. "Emma! Are you okay?"

Emma gasped and felt Ruby's freezing hands wiping the tears from her cheeks, streaming uncontrollably. "Yeah, I slipped. I'm okay."

The trio turned to the man on his hands knees who faced away from them and coughed and groaned. There was just enough daylight to reflect the bold SHERIFF written across the back of his jacket.

"Shit, Graham?!" Ruby bounded forward and helped him to his knees, then to his feet.

He rubbed his throat. "Lost my voice," he wheezed. He looked down at Emma being cradled by David with a look of both intense irritation and grudging respect. "If I ever manage to convince you to take the deputy position, we're going to have to work on your apprehension techniques," he grumbled.


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this has taken me so long - between the new job and feeling overly cynical about OUAT after the 4B spoilers, it's been hard to find the time or the motivation. But in my mind in those dark hours before I go to sleep I've pretty much brain-written (does anyone else do that?) the entire ending to this, so now it's just a matter of getting it all typed up. Here's hoping this is the beginning of a new bout of writing mojo. Thanks for all the commenters, especially those recent ones who have really spurred me into getting my A into G. Much love!

"Inside!" Mary-Margaret hissed, and Mulan wrapped an arm around Regina, huddled in the doorway, her mouth still agape from whispering demands for an explanation, and used her body weight to force the woman inside. Mary-Margaret pulled the door closed, shutting in the dim light and she cursed, trying to regain her night-vision.

The wire dug into her fingers as she pulled the bowstring back, the arrow aimed into the darkness toward the rustling noises her ears picked up over the sound of the breeze tickling the leaves. As footsteps drew closer, a row of bodies, barely more than shadows moving in darkness, came into view. She lowered the bow, arrowhead pointed to the ground.

"David?" She called quietly."

"It's okay, Snow. It's just us." He called out in reply. 

Emma looked up at her father from where she was snuggled in under his arm as she limped stiffly, cold and damp, along next to him. "Snow?"

She felt him shrug and he looked away, and she was sure he blushed. "Long story."

The cabin door opened and Mulan emerged, Regina tucked in behind. Her eyes glanced over the ragtag group, Ruby with her arm around Graham's lower back even though he didn't seem to be having trouble walking, and David holding a limping Emma close to him—awkwardly, given their height difference—and she crossed her arms. "Don't tell me you're hurt _again_ , you dork."

Regina pushed Mulan aside and seeing Graham and realising there wasn't a threat, strode down the stairs and across the dewy grass to Emma. "Are you hurt?" She asked, and lifted Emma's chin with the side of her fingers.

"I'm fine," Emma smiled crookedly. "Just me being clumsy again." A large hand pressed into her back and she willingly took the hint and stepped forward, and she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "I'm sorry I worried you."

Regina kissed her cheek and lead her up to the cabin where Mary-Margaret was busy boiling water and rinsing mugs for morning coffees. She closed the door behind them, quietly so as to not wake Henry, still sleeping like the dead in the bedroom. Mulan had the packet of wipes that Tiny had provided with the pepper spray and was pulling them out in handfuls for Graham to rub his still-streaming eyes with. Emma walked toward the fireplace to warm up. She swayed, and her foot scuffed the ground. Ruby caught her before her hand, outstretched to break her fall, touched the burning hot surface. Long fingers curled around her chin and pulled her face up to meet her younger foster sibling's piercing blue eyes.

"You didn't eat dinner." She said, remembering aloud.

"I'm fine," Emma mumbled, the corner of her mouth squished by a thumb with a red-painted nail, her lips even paler than usual.

Another hand pressed against her back as Regina approached. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Emma said at the same time as Ruby replied "She needs food. Low blood sugar."

Mary-Margaret stepped out from behind the kitchen counter. "Emma?"

The blonde rubbed her bloodshot eyes and growled low in her throat. "I'm fine! Stop fussing!" Ruby took a step back as Emma pushed her away, then as a strong shiver ran through her body, Regina pushed her out of the room, down the hall, and into their bedroom.

"I'm fine," Emma whispered. "I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Regina warned, and roughly tugged the cold, damp jacket and sweatshirt off her sweater and felt the fabric of her tank-top. Deciding it was damp too, she removed that. "You look terrible. You apparently haven't eaten, you haven't slept, you've shown reckless disregard for your own safety, and now you're denying that your health is suffering because of it," she hissed. Her eyes were dark with anger.

The lump under the bedcovers moved. She switched to a lighter tone. "Eyes closed, Henry. We're getting changed." The boy grunted in reply and stilled.

She tugged off the sweater and t-shirt she was wearing in one swift movement and Emma swallowed, fully aware that she was not supposed to enjoy the view of Regina's lacy undergarments while she was being told off, and while their son lay only a few yards away. The brunette slid off the leggings and socks and added them to the bundle of clothes in Emma's hands. "Get dressed."

Regina stepped into her dress and shimmied it up her body, reached around and zipped it up to her bra strap then reached over her shoulder to zip it the rest of the way. Emma dropped the clothes onto the chair and beat her to it. "I'm sorry." She drew the zip up, smoothed raven locks and lay her hands on Regina's shoulders. She felt them relax after a small sigh, then Regina turned to face her.

"You..." Dark eyes, softer now, rose to meet green. "You know how in the safety protocol on aeroplanes they say to attach your own oxygen mask first before helping anyone else?" Emma nodded. "I don't want you to put helping me before the basic things that keep you alive, Emma. Don't you see? I don't need you to put yourself in danger to protect me to show me how much you care. Do you know what it would do to me if... if anything happened to you while you were doing that?" She rubbed her hands up and down Emma's bare arms, then slid them around her waist and pulled their bodies together. "I need you by my side, strong and healthy, facing whatever it is together. We're strongest together. For that, I need you to value your own life as much as I do."

Emma swallowed twice and blinked, her eyes stinging now and not just from the lingering effects of pepper spray. Long, lean arms wrapped around the shorter woman and they held each other tightly. Emma drew a breath with her nose nuzzled into Regina's hair. "I'm not sure I can do that," she said in a faint whisper.

The shorter woman pulled her cheek away from the blonde's almost bare chest and stretched up to kiss her lightly on the tip of her cold nose. "Try?" 

"Okay," Emma gave a slight smile. After a few moments Regina pulled back and picked up the clothes, still slightly warm from her body heat, and held the tops out to Emma to dress her as she had done for Henry as a child. Emma slipped her arms in and Regina pulled it down over her head, untucking her ponytail from the collar while Emma unbuttoned her dewy, grass-stained jeans.

She stepped back as the blonde worked the tight denim down her legs and bent to unzip her boots. "Let's go and hear what Graham has to say about you know who."

Emma looked up quickly. "Oh, yeah. Umm.. he's dead."

"What?"

The bedcovers were pushed down and a bleary-eyed boy sat up. Emma quickly stood upright and held the leggings in front of her, one boot off and her jeans around her knees. "Jesus, kid!"

Regina had already made long strides towards the door and Henry locked eyes with his startled birth mother. "He'd dead? How?"

The blonde stood like a deer in headlights. "Umm." 

Regina frowned. "Graham?" She called, and Emma shuffled again out of view as the woman left the door open when she hurried out.

"Ma? He's really dead? How?" She opened her already agape mouth a little wider but only a little whimper came out. He rolled his eyes then covered them with his hands. "Hurry up."

She quickly pulled the leggings on once she'd managed to kick free of the pants. "Yeah, kid. He is. We don't need to worry about him any more."

\---

Regina ran her fingers through Emma's hair while she sat on the floor in front of the fireplace, her back rested against Regina's legs and her head lolled back onto her knees. Despite the bustle of activity around them as people were leaving, had she kept almost falling asleep.

After he explained that they had found Sidney's body in his car at the town lookout, Graham had left the group to return to the station while they packed up to return to town. Mulan was driving Henry to his grandparents' house, while Ruby and David would pick up groceries and go to Mary-Margaret's.

Regina had insisted that Emma stay at the cabin and get at least a couple of hours sleep before they returned to the town, where she would no doubt fail to get the sleep she so desperately needed. She had admitted to Mulan, who had quietly approached to check on her, that she needed some time to think. 

She poked Emma's shoulder and the blonde sucked in air as though she thought she was about to drool. "Come on. Bed." Emma quirked a sleepy eyebrow from her upside down viewpoint and opened her mouth. "Before you say what I suspect you were about to say, you should know that your mother is still here."

Mary-Margaret had given her house keys to David and told him she would be there once she had tidied up the cabin, yet since they had all left she had only sat in an armchair and stared out the window.

The blonde's head shot up and her mother turned away from the window to look at the pair, a wrinkle in her brow and an unreadable expression on her face.

"Um, yeah." Emma said, and used a hand on Regina's knee to help to push herself up to standing position. She rubbed a hand on her belly, now full of sweet oatmeal, and yawned. Regina stood and followed her to the bedroom, but not before a quick glance over her shoulder confirmed the older brunette had resumed staring out the window.

They lay in bed, cosy under the thick covers, except for Emma's feet which were still cold and tangled with Regina's to warm them up. Soft breaths against her cheek and the steady sound of her heartbeat did nothing to lull Regina back to sleep, so instead she held Emma for hours while she slept, cheek on her shoulder, her arm around her waist. She breathed in the smell that was uniquely Emma and tried to wrap her mind around what would drive a man to stalk her, chase her interstate, then kill himself in her hometown. It didn't make sense. None of it did. Everyone had worn the same expression when Graham had told them, especially Mary-Margaret, who seemed unusually horrified at the idea of his suicide.

She thought about the older woman's quietness, both in conversations had after hearing the news, and while Emma slept. It hadn't sounded like any cleaning up was getting done. Her jaw clenched as she came to the realisation that not knowing what was bothering the woman was bothering her, frustrated that despite her years of intense dislike for the woman she let herself care, just a little, for the woman who had stuck up for her that one awful night. 

Carefully she extracted herself from the grasp of her slumbering girlfriend and slipped her dress back on again for the second time that morning and quietly left the room. 

In the living room, Mary-Margaret had moved from sitting in the armchair to leaning against the sill, her forehead against the glass. When she turned and wiped her eyes upon hearing Regina enter the room, a cloudy patch from her make-up was still visible on the window.

"Regina. How is Emma?"

"Still sleeping," and she flinched slightly as she asked, "how are you?"

A fake smile stretched across the older woman's round face. "Fine, oh don't mind me. Coffee?" She moved toward the kitchen but Regina reached out and caught her arm.

"Mary-Margaret, I would like to know what is bothering you." She cleared her throat. "I do... I do care."

Her brow wrinkled again and blue-grey eyes watered. She shook her head. "No."

Regina rankled. "I actually do, as unfamiliar as that feeling is to me."

Mary-Margaret gave her a watery smile. "No, I meant you don't want to know."

"I wouldn't have asked if I--"

"You'll hate me."

The younger woman frowned. "Been there, done that, dear."

She turned and faced the window again. "Yes but it won't be just you this time."

"Emma?" She watched her girlfriend's mother's shoulders sag, and she nodded. "I know I should tell her but... I just can't bring myself to. I don't want to lose her again."

"What makes you think you would?"

Mary-Margaret heaved a sigh. "Because of what I did."

"Hypothetically, then, why say anything?"

"I might not have a choice. If the state police are going to..." She gestured with her hands as they recalled Graham's explanation that Boston PD had called in a favour to state to overlook the case.

Regina drew in a breath. "Something illegal."

She seemed to shrink down inside her thick sweater. "Something very wrong."

"Alright, Mary-Margaret, will you stop being cryptic and just tell me already? What did you do?"

"I think Sidney was murdered."

"By who?"

"Gold."

Regina's eyebrows raised. "Gold? How? Why? Graham said it appeared to be a suicide."

"He said it appeared he overdosed on his insulin, but there wasn't much insulin in his pack."

"But whether it was enough to cause his heart to fail depends on how low his blood sugar was to start with. Why do you think Gold has anything to do with this?"

"It's just a suspicion."

"So why don't you tell Graham so he can investigate."

Mary-Margaret wrapped her arms tighter around her chest and jutted her chin out. "Because I might implicate myself."

Regina scoffed. "How? You have half a dozen people who can provide you an airtight alibi!"

"Because of what I know, and how I know it."

She pinched the bridge of her nose and sat down on the sofa. "I think you need to start from the start." Pale pink lips opened to protest, but Regina held her hand out. "Just tell me. I'll try to help."

Mary-Margaret sat in the armchair. "I lied to Emma." She heaved a sigh. "She asked me what Gold asked of me in return for hiring you and I told her he didn't ask for anything. But he did." Regina frowned and stiffened at the reminder that the man she thought had saved her from the mayor's clutches had done so only at the behest of the woman she had spent so many years loathing. "I had been volunteering at the hospital for a while when he came to me and asked me to get a bottle of something for him, and I did. I wasn't even that wary, it wasn't... well it wasn't something I thought was bad, not at the time."

"What was it?"

"It was just something I'd seen them give the kids who had come in after that salmonella outbreak at the school. But then, well later on I just had this feeling. He gave me this look, and I'd seen it before. My father had asked me to come to his office one evening to sign off on some family trust documents, and when I got there Gold was in his office. They didn't know I was there, and my father was saying something to him like 'I know you thought she was your daughter but it's a good thing she's not! She's getting better with age and I won't be able to resist her temptations forever.' I was disgusted, of course, but I had no idea who they were talking about. That was a week before he called in the favour I owed him. My father died later that year. Gold gave me the same look at his funeral that he'd given at the office that night, and then one day I noticed..."

"What?"

"I noticed the way he looked at you at the opening of the refurbished town hall. Proudly."

"That was the first big project I lead."

"Fatherly."

She snorted. "You think he was talking about me?" Their eyes locked, one side with compassion and the other disbelief. Her nose wrinkled at the chain of events that would have had to have taken place. "You think my mother had an affair with Gold?"

"I could be wrong."

"You are." She replied firmly. A heavy silence hung in the air. "What does any of this have to do with your current situation?"

"I Googled it. The drug. It causes heart attacks and isn't easily picked up in an autopsy. Not unless they're looking for it."

"You think Gold killed your father, and now he's killed Sidney, using something you gave him?"

"Yes."

"Both times to protect me because he thought he was my father?" Regina laughed dismissively, then fell silent as she pondered the other woman's position. "Why say anything?"

Mary-Margaret threw her hands up. "If he's killing people, I have to!"

"What about calling in an anonymous tip-off?"

"As if that would be enough! They had much more on him with that whole Brookevale development scam and still the couldn't touch him."

"Please, that wasn't a scam."

"They were laundering money through land sales on a project that was never going to happen, of course it was a scam."

Regina looked up at her questioningly. "Laundering money from what?"

"I don't know. I just know it was dodgy as hell."

"If a federal investigation didn't find anything, it had to have been above board."

Mary-Margaret rolled her eyes. "Right. And it's just coincidence that the one guy that they all seemed concerned about flipping mysteriously died in a suspicious house fire?"

White appeared around the edges of dark eyes as they widened. "Lindor Svansson? He was involved?"

"I forget sometimes that you were in your final year at college. Yes, he was somehow involved in the financial transactions, if there was any paper trail leading the accounts in the Caymans to anyone in town, it was him. The investigators were leaning on him pretty hard, then all of a sudden he was dead, the wife was gone, they made it sound like she had done it in some fit of rage and disappeared, but they could never pin it on anyone. Not even her. I don't think they ever even found her. It was all very convenient."

Regina shook her head slowly. "This is all conjecture. You have no proof."

The older woman turned back to the window and sighed. "No, I don't. I can just... feel it. Can't you feel it?"

She swallowed dryly and refused to answer. "What are you going to do?"

"It needs to be investigated, but I'm afraid that saying anything will put Graham in danger, and..."

"You?"

Mary-Margaret cocked her head to the side. "Yes, I suppose. But also you."

"Me?"

She took a nervous breath. "Regina, I... I know you worked closely with Gold for many years."

"I did nothing illegal if that's what you are implying!"

Mary-Margaret held a hand out in a placating manner. "I'm not saying you did, but I don't know if he has tied you up in this unknowingly. He's an expert at keeping his hands clean, but... he's also manipulative to have surely created some insurance, so to speak. If you were to have found anything that implicated him..."

A long silence hung between them, and then a low chuckle rumbled out of Regina's throat. "One minute you're telling me he's killed people to protect me, that he thinks of me as his daughter, and the next you're telling me he'd manufacture incriminating evidence to bring me down with him. It doesn't add up."

"I don't know if he would, Regina. I just know it's a possibility, and that's something I have to consider. That's why I need your guidance as to what to do here. If I come forward and take my suspicions to the authorities, you have to know what could happen. And if we decide to keep this to ourselves..."

"Yes, well _thank you_ for bringing me into this," she replied sarcastically, "but we need to tell Emma, whatever we decide."

Pale pink lips formed a small 'o' shape and she squeaked in protest.

Regina held up her hand again to stop her. "The truth will never hurt her as much as a secret kept from her." She fought against the automatic softening of her face as the pained expression tightened Mary-Margaret's. "Secrets have hurt our families enough, don't you think?"

"Yes," Mary-Margaret crossed her arms with a dejected sigh and looked at the floor.

A voice from behind them startled both women. "So that's it? Just when I find you, you're planning to go and confess to being an accessory to murder?"

They turned to face the rumpled blonde, huddled in the doorway to the hall, arms wrapped tightly around her torso.

"No, that's not going to happen," Regina stated firmly.


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revised ending to previous chapter - _"Secrets have hurt our families enough, don't you think?"_
> 
> _"Yes," Mary-Margaret crossed her arms with a dejected sigh and looked at the floor._
> 
> _A voice from behind them startled both women. "So that's it? Just when I find you, you're planning to go and confess to being an accessory to murder?"_
> 
> _They turned to face the rumpled blonde, huddled in the doorway to the hall, arms wrapped tightly around her torso._
> 
> _"No, that's not going to happen," Regina stated firmly._

The front door to the mansion had been flung open even before the old Jeep had rolled to a stop in the driveway. The engine rumbled at idle, Mary-Margaret's hand on the keys, but she left them unturned. "I, umm, I should get back to my place. Help with dinner. You're welcome to come."

Regina smiled softly from the passenger seat. She pressed her lips together and gave the slightest of nods before she tugged the door handle and pushed it open. It clunked shut with a noise sharp enough to cause both mother and daughter to flinch. 

"Um, thanks, Mar. I'll probably see you in a little while." Emma patted her mother on the shoulder, the contact still felt a little awkward to initiate, but she was trying. Her mother smiled, in her eyes a mixture of pride and sadness. 

Emma looped her thumbs through the belt loops of her jeans as she stood in the driveway, and the Jeep reversed out of the driveway behind her. Up on the porch, Regina was sandwiched in a hug between her parents, and Henry, who had been standing to the side with Marian's hand on his shoulder, hesitated, then ran forward and wriggled in, his arms wrapped around his mother's waist.

Her best friend sidled down past the family reunion and stood in silence next to Emma, a slender arm draped over her shoulder. Marian joined them a moment later. "Emma. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I am. Thanks, Marian."

Mulan bumped her with her hip. "You did actually get some sleep then?" Her eyes caught Marian's, and Emma looked between them.

"Or was your mother's presence not enough of a twat-block for you?" Marian added.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Seriously, you two! Your best friend," she glared at Marian, "was in mortal danger not 24 hours ago and _this_ is what's on your mind?"

She flinched as a pointed finger poked her in the ribs. "Lighten up, Em. I know the danger, I was here all night, remember? Stationed like a guard. But some of us lonely souls are living vicariously through you two at the moment."

The blonde sighed and stepped out of her friend's loose embrace, and walked up the path to the tearful family gathered in the doorway.

Behind her, Mulan muttered to Marian, "I can't tell if she's grumpy because she didn't sleep, or grumpy because she did," and they both giggled.

Henry Sr guided them inside, his large, warm hands on their backs. "Mija," he murmured out of earshot of his grandson, "I was so worried." His fingers splayed then squeezed her shoulder, and she leaned into the slightly taller man. 

"I know, Papa. I'm sorry."

He kissed the top of her head. "You have nothing to be sorry for, mija. I'm just glad you're safe." His dark, wet eyes raised to Emma's and returned to her after a quick glance at Henry. "All of you. Thank you," he smiled over the top of his daughter's head.

Emma smiled meekly and tucked her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. "Hey, kid? You wanna come with me and Mulan over to Mary-Margaret's? We're going to have a big feast."

High-heels clicked across the floorboards as Cora swept in from the kitchen. "Oh, I thought you would all stay here for dinner."

The blonde glanced at Regina. "I will, Mother. But there is something I need to talk to you about."

Eyes darted amongst each other, Regina's finally settled on her son's. "You're not coming with us, Mom?"

She leaned forward to look him in the eye, her thumb pressed lightly on his chin, her fingers underneath it holding it up. "I have something to talk about with your grandparents, it might take a while. You go with Emma and I will call you later, okay?"

"Okay, Mom." She pressed her lips to his forehead and he stepped forward and hugged her again, and she ruffled his hair. "My sweet boy."

They followed Mulan and Emma out to David's truck, and Emma gestured for Henry to hop in before her into the middle of the bench seat. The foursome waved them off, and her parents went back into the house. 

"So, you're going to tell them this time?" Marian asked quietly.

Regina nodded, her jaw tight, and the vein in her forehead pulsed. Marian sighed, then reached a long arm out and grabbed her shoulder. Regina stumbled slightly as she was pulled into the embrace, her friend's warm heart not quite able to ease the tension from her, but it reinforced her strength to cope with it. 

"It'll be fine," she reassured and squeezed her extra tight before letting go. "I'm going to go home and get some sleep now, but make sure you call me if you need anything."

The older woman caught her hand as they separated, and she squeezed it. "Thank you. For everything."

"Pfft," Marian waved her off with her free hand, "don't even. You're family." She squeezed Regina's hand back. "And I mean it -- anything."

The tall woman patted her friend's upper arm as she passed her and walked down the stairs and down the path. She waved when she closed the cast iron gate behind her and Regina watched as she walked down the street to her house over on the next block. Rubbing her own hands on her upper arms, she turned and re-entered the house, and closed the door behind her.

"Would you like something to eat, Regina? We have eaten lunch, but I could make you--"

"No, mother. I'm fine, thank you."

Her father noticed the nervous clenching of her hands. "A drink, maybe?"

She smiled. "Yes, a drink would be good."

She followed him into the study, her mother close behind. "What is it that you need to talk to us about, dear? Is it this awful Mr Glass? Graham visited us this morning and gave us some of the details, and Marian filled us in on some of what has been going on. I wish you had told us sooner."

She took the tumbler of scotch that her father held out for her. "This whole mess goes back a lot further than that, I'm afraid. I tried to talk to you about it last time we were here--"

"Is this about Daniel again?"

"Mother--"

Henry stepped between the two women. "Cora, please. Let her speak." He turned to his daughter. "Go on, mija. We're listening."

"That's... that's not what I want to talk about."

"You wanted to tell me why you didn't want to pursue politics," Cora said thoughtfully, her assumption that Daniel had been the reason was now not so firm.

"Mayor White." Regina said simply, and studied the tiny movements of her mother's face; the slight wrinkling around her eyes, her lips pressing together. "The night of my debutante ball he assaulted me."

Henry stiffened, and Cora's mouth fell open and she covered it with her hand. She took a step back, her eyes wide and brow furrowed. "He what?" Her voice was croaky.

"He tried... well I he didn't get far, but I don't know how far it would have gone had Mary-Margaret not arrived and stopped it." She stepped away from her father as he moved toward her, to allow him to hold her now would only cause her to break down and she needed to get it out.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Regina sighed and looked away, her eyes fixed on the picture of the knight which hung on the wall. "I thought you knew. I thought Mary-Margaret had told you."

"Darling, I had no idea."

Her daughter grimaced and exhaled sharply. "So it seems."

"You should have told me."

"I said I thought you knew!" Regina barked.

"Regina," her father started, then stopped. She calmed slightly, though she paced away from her parents.

Cora was still stunned. "You thought I knew and did nothing? Said nothing?"

"He said he would ruin your career. I thought... I thought you were just trying to keep your job."

Cora walked forward and gripped her daughter's arms firmly. "My job was never as important as you, Regina. Never! You have a son, you know what it is like to want to give your child everything. To do anything to ensure their happiness. Nothing is more important than that." 

Regina's eyes fluttered closed and she swallowed thickly again. "I know." She said, her voice gravelly. "I know that now."

Her mother softened, and she spoke in a hushed voice. "I made you work with him."

A sharp breath was drawn and Regina looked down at the rug between them, and she willed the tears in her eyes to not spill over.

"Oh, Regina!" Cora reached out cautiously and cupped Regina's face, then pulled her close. "I'm so sorry." She felt warmth behind her as her father approached and rested his hand on her back, and she couldn't hold the tears back any longer. They dampened the shoulder of her mother's dress.

"Mary-Margaret asked Gold to hire me. To protect me," she said, when she regained her voice. She stood and wiped her cheeks with the handkerchief her father offered her.

Henry's brow wrinkled further. "And did he?"

Regina gave him a reassuring smile. "Yes, Papa. He did." She glanced at her mother, who held her gaze. "But Mary-Margaret offered another explanation for why that may have been."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Cora said curtly.

"Cora," Henry started.

"Is it true?"

Her mother huffed. "That woman thinks she knows everybody's business."

Henry reached for his wife, but she turned away. "Cora..." She walked over and sat down at the desk, and cast a stern look at her husband. "No more secrets, Cora." When his wife didn't reply, he turned to his daughter and put his hands on her shoulders. "Mija, you have always been my baby. Always. You always would have been." She swallowed thickly. "Your mama and I, we tried for so long to have you, we thought... we thought maybe it was not meant to be. We had a rough patch."

The knot in Regina's stomach twisted, and she pulled away from her father to sit down in one of the armchairs near the fire. She rested her elbows on her knees and rubbed her eyes.

It was her mother who spoke next. "It was one moment of weakness, Regina, but your father and I had already begun to mend our marriage when we found out about you. You were always going to be ours, no matter what."

"But you didn't know," she surmised. "And he didn't know."

"He knew of our... our troubles. But no, we... we didn't know. We didn't have the testing they have nowadays, and even when you were born you looked like me. Dark eyes and pink skin, though you didn't have much hair. It wasn't until you were a little older that you really began to look like your father. And now, of course, we have no doubt."

Her father sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of her and took her shaking hands in his.

"There was no reason to tell you, baby, not until now. I'm sorry you found out this way, can you forgive us?"

She looked up into the deep brown eyes of her father, and across at her mother at her desk. She wrung her hands, and her tongue darted out to wet her dry lips in a show of nervousness unfamiliar to Regina. Compassion seeped into her chest, a frustratingly soft feeling, as her heart put two and two together before her brain did as she remembered her own fears, as irrational as they now seemed to be, of Henry rejecting her once he learned of his adoption.

With a squeeze of her father's hands, she stood and smoothed her dress. She crossed the distance to the desk and reached for her mother's hand, pulled her to standing, and wrapped her arms around her small frame. The older woman seemed to melt into her as her stoicism disintegrated, and for the first time in her life, Regina felt as though she were inside the hard shell her mother kept around her. Fresh tears wet her cheeks at the strong emotions that coursed through her, at finally feeling the closeness to her mother that she hadn't dared to hope for since she was a girl.

"I'm sorry, baby," Cora croaked into her shoulder.

Regina hushed her. "It's okay, Mama. We're going to be okay now."

When they let each other go, Cora walked over to her husband and reached out for him. "Mi corazón," he murmured, and kissed the back of her hand. "Mis amores." He smiled at Regina.

She frowned. "Wait, is that why you gave me your maiden name?" 

Cora glanced at Henry who tilted his head slightly. She looked down and sighed.

"No, sweetheart. You know I was the first woman in Storybrooke to not take my husband's name when we married. The town was a lot different back then, it was a different time." Henry tugged her hand and they sat side by side on the sofa, and Regina walked over and sat back in her armchair.

"It's like I always told you. Your father's family had means, but they were... well they were outsiders to the town. I only ever wanted the best for you, dear. I wanted you to have every chance available to you, I didn't want anything to hold you back."

Regina's lip curled. "You must be thrilled now. Puerto Rican blood _and_ I'm in a relationship with a woman."

Cora smiled. "You always did enjoy a challenge." She waited a moment while her daughter, who had slipped into old patterns of bristling for an argument, settled. "You're Latina, dear, a woman, and if you are in a relationship with another woman, there will be people who take issue with that too. Any or all of it, depending on who you're up against, will likely make your fight just to stay in a position of power that little bit harder, let alone trying to get ahead."

"I don't want to be in a position of power."

"You want to make a difference, that means you need clout. You need people's respect, sometimes you need them to fear you. The moment they see you as weak they will chew you up and spit you out. But you are strong, dear. Stronger than I could have ever imagined. You have a good heart, and people love you. I'm sorry if it was wrong of me to give you my maiden name, and if I pushed you hard. I did it because I believe in you, because I love you. I didn't push for more than you were capable of, I wanted you to demand more than the people who just accept the status quo and go along with whatever the powers that be decide for them. You have never let me down."

Regina sat and let the words sink in. 

"We are so proud of you, Regina. You have worked so hard to make this world a better place." Her father leaned forward. "Your mother hasn't told you but the reason Gold came so close to winning the election was you. People trusted you, even if they didn't trust him. If you... if you returned to Storybrooke and teamed up with your mother..."

She groaned and dropped her head into her hands. 

"Or not..." Henry said hesitantly and leaned back. "Your job in Boston is very important too, so we understand."

Regina looked up and took in the sad expressions on her parents' faces. "No, it's an awful job. It isn't at all what I expected. I feel like a paper-pusher, and all I do is have meetings where no one listens to me and nothing gets done." Her parents looked almost hopeful, despite her obvious unhappiness with her current career path. "But I doubt people here will continue to trust me."

"Why wouldn't they?" Cora asked.

"There's more to the story." Regina reached out for her glass and sipped the scotch, now watered down from the melted ice-cubes. "Gold asked a favour of Mary-Margaret in return for my employment."

"A favour?"

"A trade, of sorts. You know what he's like." Regina swirled the liquid. "Or maybe you don't."

\---

The bed felt too large without Emma sleeping next to her, or Henry, for that matter. Despite her years of sleeping alone, she was somewhat surprised with the ease she had taken to sharing her space with another.

She had spoken with Henry on the phone a few hours ago, he should have already been in bed, but she supposed she could understand, given that apparently Mary-Margaret's apartment was quite open-plan and there were a number of people there. 

_"We're indoor camping, Mom!"_ he had exclaimed. _"Mary-Margaret borrowed camp stretchers from the YWCA, and we're telling stories by torchlight!"_

_"It sounds like a lot of fun, Henry."_

_"Yeah. I wish you were here."_

_"I'm sorry I'm not there with you, but I will see you in the morning, okay? After breakfast. I have one more thing to take care of in the morning and then I'm all yours."_

_"Okay. I have to go now, the fondue is ready and David is eating all the marshmallows."_

She had chuckled at that. _"Alright Henry, don't forget to brush your teeth. I love you."_

_"I love you too, Mom."_

There had been a few moments of rustling as the phone was handed over to Emma, then a soft _"Hi."_

_"Hi yourself."_

_"How did it go?"_

_"Better than I expected, I suppose."_

_"I'm glad."_

_"Are you still okay with what we decided?"_

_"Yeah. Well, I'm kinda nervous actually but yeah."_

_"Me too. I wish I was there with you. I miss you."_

_"I miss you too. You could come over now?"_

_"No, we still have... things to discuss."_

_"I could come back over there later..."_

_"No, dear, I'm fine. Stay with Henry."_

_"We could both come over."_

_"He sounds like he's having a lot of fun, I'd hate to tear him away from that."_

_"Regina, you know we'd both be there for you in a heartbeat."_

_"I know. I do. Thank you."_

_"Okay, well I'll see you in the morning then?"_

_"That you will."_

_"Are you sure you're okay with all this, though?"_

_"Yes. Your mother may have made some bad decisions in the past, but we have to do what's best for all of us moving forward."_

_"This family thing is complicated business, huh."_

_"You have no idea."_

_"I'm learning."_

_"Please don't let Henry eat too many sweets before bed, they'll give him a restless night's sleep."_

_"Yes, Mom."_

_"Hush! Goodnight, Emma. I love you."_

There had been a long pause, then Emma spoke with a thickness in her voice that Regina hadn't heard before.

_"I love you too."_

She lay staring at the ceiling for a while longer, thoughts running through her head, sleep evading her even though she was tired. She picked up her phone again and typed out a message.

**[23:01] I said "I love you" kind of by accident when I called her to say goodnight.**

Marian replied immediately. 

_[23:01] And???_

**[23:02] She said it back.**

_[23:02] OMG. What are you doing now?_

**[23:03] In bed, trying to sleep. Not having much luck.**

She checked her phone again a few minutes later, in case she had accidentally put it on silent. She hadn't. She rolled over, a little annoyed at Marian, and frustrated now that she had told Emma and Henry to stay at Mary-Margaret's. Her mind was racing and she couldn't stop thinking about the day's events, and her plan for the following morning.

Her phone vibrated on the night stand and she rolled back over to check it eagerly.

_[23:11] Don't be scared._

Regina frowned and tried to figure out how she had given her friend the impression she was afraid when she heard a thump. It was followed by a creak, a rustling, and another thump. She threw the blankets back, and pulled the heavy drapes back, and grinned widely at the figure out on the balcony. She unlocked the door and opened it. 

"What are you, seventeen?"

Marian pulled a leaf out of her hair and brushed a cobweb off her sweatshirt. She rubbed her shoulder. "Well I'm definitely not as young as I used to be."

"What the hell are you doing up here?"

"I've always wanted to do that." She looked over the edge of the balcony at the vine-covered trellis. "It's harder than it looks."

"Are you drunk?"

Her friend looked scandalised. "I can be fun and spontaneous without being drunk." Regina stared at her. "I slept all day, I woke up with energy." One perfectly shaped eyebrow raised, and Marian sighed. "Raf is with Rob for one more night. So yeah. One drink. I had one drink. One large drink."

The shorter woman chuckled and grabbed a handful of sweatshirt. "Get inside before you freeze to death."


	46. Chapter 46

The length of her stride extended as she walked, her shoulders squared, and her jaw set as she approached the antiques store, it's sign painted in an old style but too fresh and new to be particularly authentic. She straightened the collar of her jacket, borrowed from her mother's wardrobe and worn over her freshly dry-cleaned dress, and with a quick look around her she pushed open the door. The sound of a small bell rang out and she stepped inside, the room dimly lit by a couple of lamps and a small amount of morning light reaching through the mostly blocked off or painted windows.

"Well hello, dearie." The short man stepped out from behind the thick drapes across the doorway to the room at the rear of the store and leaned against his cane.

"Hello, Gold." His face perked up at the use of his surname over her previously common use of his given name. She glanced around the glass cases filled with all kinds of paraphernalia. "I had heard you were selling your private collection. Never thought I'd see the day. Debts to pay?"

His mouth twisted in a tight smile, and he deflected away from her question. "I had heard you were back in Storybrooke. My, what an unfortunate situation with Glass."

She held his gaze as she walked slowly but purposefully up to the counter. "Which part? That he is dead? That he followed me here? Or that you set him onto me in the first place?" 

"Ah, dearie, I can assure you that Mr Glass' more unsavoury actions were not at my request." He softened. "I think you know that."

"I know more than you think," she countered with a smirk.

"Do you now? Just what is it that you think you know?" 

Regina slowly walked around the store and pretended to casually appraise the contents. "That must have infuriated you, having one of your minions deviate from your direction." She glanced meaningfully across the room at Gold, who pursed his lips but remained silent. "Oh yes. I know it did."

Her gaze turned predatory as she approached the counter again. "I know why you have made it your responsibility to look out for me all these years," the slight softening of her tone caught him off guard, then it hardened again, "and why took me under your wing initially. I also know what you I know what you made Mary-Margaret do for you in return."

He shifted and readjusted the angle of his cane to be more upright. "I assure you, anything done my Ms Blanchard was done by her own free will."

"Free will? You know what you asked of her, and you and I both know that she had no idea at the time why you asked it of her."

"At the time? She does now, does she?" His eyes twinkled with glee. "I thought so."

Regina placed her hands on the counter and leaned forward. "What you're doing to her, what you're holding over her is wrong and you know it."

His smile darkened as the gloves came off. "I take nothing which is not owed to me."

"She owed you nothing. You made yourself responsible for my safety for reasons other than her request and we both know it. You took advantage of her desperation and now you're blackmailing her with her mistake to remain silent about what you've done with it."

"Blackmail?" Gold feigned offence. "No, her continued silence is merely beneficial to her own interests."

Regina scoffed. "Prove it. Give me the bottle."

His smile returned. "Why are you so protective of Ms Blanchard all of a sudden? As I recall, you have hated her for your entire adult life." He watched the vein in her forehead pulse.

"You can't manipulate her into waiving the autopsy this time, Gold, she isn't next of kin, and Glass wasn't an old man with a pre-existing heart condition. If you really do have her fingerprints on that bottle, the least you can do is destroy them. You owe her that much."

He placed a hand to his chest. "I owe her? How on Earth do you figure that?"

Regina crossed her arms. "You owe her and Emma for the years you stole from them. You knew that Emma went back into the system yet you did nothing to reunite them."

"Ah, Miss Swan," he mused, "you have taken a liking to the woman."

She swallowed and tried to redirect. "You owe it to both of them to release Mary-Margaret from the threat of imprisonment."

"Isn't it poetic? The adoptive mother and birth mother falling in love? My, my, what a lucky young boy Henry is." His cane tapped on the polished floorboards with every step the man took as he rounded the end of the counter until he stood facing Regina without the barrier between them. Although he posed no physical threat, the dominant move did not go unnoticed and for a moment Regina felt the power tables turn.

"It's what you wanted, isn't it? You did manipulate us into the same apartment building."

He smiled at her deflection, learned from the best. "I wanted you close to each other for my own convenience, I wasn't to know you of all people would begin to socialise with your lowly second-floor neighbour."

She exhaled through her nose and flicked her tongue across her lips. "Why send for Emma now, after all these years? What's in it for you?"

The short man seemingly grew as he mentally preened himself. "Sometimes the time comes when a man sets forth to clear his conscience and right his wrongs."

Regina scoffed. "Very noble, Gold. Also complete bullshit."

Gold's face hardened at her dismissal. "Well, you see, dearie, I know you. I know you well. I knew in trying to repair misdeeds that certain facts may come to light, and you may become a problem. Just as I know you, you have also had the opportunity to learn more about me than I would normally allow." He studied her terse expression with almost disguised admiration. "But I also think I know you well enough that you welcomed young Henry into your heart and home without a second thought about or second opinion of his adoption paperwork."

Her blood ran cold and she felt her chest squeeze with adrenaline and disbelief. "No..."

He smiled with discoloured teeth bared and stepped closer to her, close enough for her to see his dry, scaly skin, look directly into the imp's yellowing eyes, and smell his stale breath. "Yes, dearie. You see, if for any reason the pathologist rules Mr Glass' death a homicide, with a simple phone call Miss Swan can be notified that if she reads the small print of her contract she will find she has an unlimited length time to claim her son back and void the adoption entirely. I'm sure, while we're chatting, I can share a few tales of your past that would cause her to doubt your suitability as the guardian of her heir."

Regina felt the blaze of fury radiate from her chest, and the choking fear of losing her family because of the petty games of the man in front of her. She glared at him so intensely that it was almost surprising that he didn't burst into flames on the spot.

The smug man turned his back on her in the ultimate show of power. "I do suggest, dearie, that you abandon your attempt to wash Ms Blanchard's hands clean of her part in this and turn your efforts towards ensuring Mr Glass' unfortunate demise is ruled accidental." He reached forward and opened the door, and the sun streamed into the room and reflected off the shiny floor, brightening the whole room. "Good day, Miss Mills."

It took her a moment to will her feet to move, but as she shook herself from her daze she realised this round was over, but the match was not. She stalked out of the store and marched up the street, the burning in her heels at the fast pace not as scalding as the burning in her eyes as she fought to control her emotions. With a thick swallow and a few more deep breaths, she quelled the panic attack brewing inside her. She ignored the few people trying to catch her eye or say good morning to her, and she continued into the sidestreet.

As she approached the old blue electrical repair van, the side door slid open and a middle-aged man in overalls stepped out and blocked her path. She looked up and stared at the man who had spent months in Storybrooke so many years ago, who had asked so many questions of so many people, though none of her at the time. His blue eyes were fixed on her, his hair dishevelled and the stubble on his chin not quite long enough to be fashionable and reflected more on his failure to shave the past day or two.

"Mendell," his name fell from her lips as she didn't know what else to say. 

He gestured towards the back of the van he had just exited. "Get in," he ordered, and with a firm hand on her shoulder he guided her to where his partner could reach out for Regina's hand and pulled her inside.

The sliding door slammed behind her and Mendell climbed into the driver's seat and fired up the engine. She tried to pay attention to the young, overall-clad black woman with the warm eyes and the cunning intelligence who guided her into her seat, but her brain wasn't taking in anything she was saying. 

"Regina," she felt hands on her knees and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the back of the van, she felt her resolve break at the sight of Emma on her knees in front of her. "Regina, are you okay?"

Silent tears fell from her eyes and Emma stumbled upwards, bracing against the motion of the moving vehicle, and gathered her into her arms.

After a moment she relaxed into the embrace, then a moment later became aware of their audience. She stiffened, and Emma let her go, although their fingers remained intertwined. "What are you doing here?" She asked the blonde.

Emma smiled. "Did you know that US marshals have the power to enlist civilians as deputies? And other law enforcement if they're off duty and in civilian clothing." She smiled across at Graham who was squashed into a small chair in the back corner of the small space.

"Sure," he said with mock exasperation, "she accepts their offer to be a deputy but not mine."

A small smile broke across Regina's face and with a sigh she relaxed further, until she remembered the equipment she was still hooked up to. She let go of Emma's hand and reached down the front of her dress to unclip the microphone from her bra. She tugged, but the wire remained snaking down inside her clothing.

Tamara reached out to help but was dissuaded by a sharp glance from Regina. Emma gave the marshal a conciliatory smile and handed her the blazer her girlfriend had just removed before she leaned around her and unzipped her dress until she could access the battery pack taped to her lower back. She zipped her back up again and handed the equipment to Tamara.

"Did you get enough?" Regina asked, looking at the recording equipment Tamara's laptop was connected to.

The marshal tipped her head side to side. "Well, it wasn't a full confession, but it should be enough to get new warrants and re-launch the investigation."

"And the immunity for Mary-Margaret and Regina?" Graham asked.

Tamara smiled. "Yes, Miss Mills has fulfilled her part of the deal. Mendell and I are satisfied that any connection to illegal activities was unintentional and unknowing, she and Ms Blanchard will not be charged for anything pertaining to the investigation into Mr Gold and his associates, nor the deaths of Mr Glass or Mr White."

Emma squeezed Regina's hand and they both let out a sigh of relief.

The van came to a stop and the engine was cut. A moment later, Mendell slid the side door open and climbed in for the obligatory debrief, and shortly after the group disembarked into the narrow alleyway behind Mary-Margaret's apartment.

Tamara reached out to stop Emma just as they went to leave, and pulled her aside. She took a small scrap of paper out of her pocket. "Look, normally this would invalidate the witsec agreement, but since technically, as a minor, you were supposed to be covered by it, and she wants this, we're going to make an exception."

The piece of paper was shoved into her hand, and Tamara smiled as she climbed into the passenger seat and the marshals drove their cover vehicle away. Emma stared at the scrawled writing, "Sarah Fisher, (218) 555 4239," and thought again about the latest version of her first family that she had learned. 

She pocketed the note and swallowed down the anger and frustration she felt and re-joined Regina and Graham as they made their way out to the front of the building. They climbed the stairs and entered the apartment without knocking. Mary-Margaret let go of David's hand and jumped off her stool at the breakfast bar and greeted them nervously. Emma crossed the distance between them with a smile. "She did it, Mar. You don't have to worry anymore, you're off the hook." Regina stepped up to Emma's side and smiled as well.

The older woman's eyes teared up and she placed a hand briefly over her mouth before she threw her arms wide and hugged them both. "Thank you, Regina," she murmured, "thank you both."

David placed his hands on Mary-Margaret's and Regina's shoulders, and smiled gratefully at Regina when she looked up at him.

"Where are Ruby, Mulan and Henry?" Emma asked, pulling away from the embrace.

The smiles fell from Mary-Margaret and David's faces. "Ruby's grandmother called," David began, "her friend was assaulted and found unconscious the night before last, her granny had only just found out. Ruby was quite upset so Mulan is driving her back to Boston."

"Assaulted?" Emma repeated questioningly. "On Monday? Who was it?"

Her parents shared a glance. "Well, it seems it was the boy who took Regina's car to his garage. The neighbouring factory has security cameras, apparently they have a clear shot of the attacker."

Regina spun around and looked at Graham, still stood with a hand on the door. He pulled his phone from his pocket and stopped her before she could say anything else. "I'm on it," he assured her, and stepped out into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind him.

"Jesus," Emma muttered, and rubbed her forehead. "And Henry?"

"He was still a bit tired from having a big night, so he's upstairs taking a nap." Mary-Margaret smiled affectionately.

Regina looked at Emma, Emma looked at Regina, and they both moved towards the stairs at the same time. As they burst into the upstairs bedroom, both were disappointed but not surprised to find the window onto the fire escape pushed open, the gentle breeze blowing the curtain inwards.

They could hear someone on the metal ladder, Emma reached the window first and stuck her head out to find Henry climbing up toward her. He froze.

"Busted." She grinned.

He rolled his eyes and resumed climbing, and his mothers both helped him back through into the room.

"Where do you think you were going?" Regina asked sternly. 

Henry and Emma glanced at each other, and she nudged him. "You tell her."

He looked at the floor and scuffed his shoe. "I wasn't leaving, I was coming back up." Regina raised both her eyebrows at him and waited. "I knew something was going on that you were all trying to keep a secret from me." He gave Emma an accusatory glare and looked at Regina. "When Graham came and picked up Emma I knew something was happening so I tried to follow them, but when I got out to the street I couldn't see them, only you, so I followed you to Mr Gold's store." He looked back down at the floor guiltily.

Regina bent down a little so she was nearer Henry's eye level and she reached out to raise his chin. "Then what, Henry?" She asked softly.

"I couldn't see in the front windows so I went around the back, and I climbed up on the dumpster. I couldn't hear you clearly," his face scrunched up, "but I could see you a little bit when you walked around. Then I heard you leave and Mr Gold went back into the room that I could see. He took a book off a shelf and opened it, but it wasn't a real book, it was cut out inside. It looked like it had an envelope and a little bottle in it, and he closed it again then he put it in a briefcase and locked it."

The brunette looked at Emma who already had her phone out of her pocket. "I'll call Mendell," she said as she breezed out of the room.

Henry looked up at his mother with big, hazel eyes. "Did I do something bad?"

"No, sweetie," she comforted, "I think you may have helped." She drew him into a hug, and she held him tightly as he wrapped his arms around her. She pressed a kiss into his hair and breathed the scent that was uniquely Henry while the negative part of her brain replayed Gold's words and caused her heart to twinge at the possibility of losing her dear boy.

He pulled away from her when her embrace dragged on too long, and he grinned widely.

"Don't misunderstand, Henry. It is wrong to snoop, and very wrong to sneak out like that," Regina said with a warning tone. Henry tried to school his face but she could see right through his attempt to look contrite. She sighed and guided him out of the room with a hand on his shoulder.


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your comments and encouragement! It's really helped me get back into writing this story.  
> This is only a short chapter, so you get a double whammy today. Hope you enjoy!

Regina slipped the phone back into her pocket having just checked it for the umpteenth time since they had reached the castle, not to mention all the times she had checked it at the apartment and while they were at lunch. 

"Still no word?" 

She shook her head and sighed, and watched as her son and his friend threw pine cones at passing imaginary dragons from his post in the South Tower. 

Emma shifted a little closer on the bench seat and her little finger brushed against Regina's. "So... this seat looks a lot like one that has a very special place in my heart."

She grinned as a low chuckle warmed her. "Most of the park furniture was replaced at the same time. Buying in bulk saves taxpayer money."

"I'm talking about our first kiss and you're bringing taxpayers into this?" She smacked Regina's thigh lightly, then rested her hand in the same spot. "So much for romance."

Regina slid her hand over the top of her girlfriend's and laced their fingers together. "Sorry, it was a wonderful first kiss, dear." 

"Yeah, right before you ran away from me." The blonde lay her head on the shorter woman's shoulder and stifled a yawn. 

"Am I boring you now?" She shrugged her shoulder slightly to make her point.

Emma chuckled. "No, just some of us have been up since a quarter-to-no-one-gets-up-that-early."

"Some kind of indoor camping ritual, I imagine?"

"Nah," she snuggled a little closer, "Graham called to meet him out in the alley to talk, and he was there with the Marshals. We talked, I said I wanted to come along with you, they eventually agreed and made me deputy, then I was debriefed which I guarantee wasn't as saucy as it sounds."

They looked up at the playground to see Nick climbing out one of the windows, apparently the dragon's breath had set fire to the lower floors and the knights had to flee for their lives.

"Mendell has been on the case for years, huh?"

Regina squeezed Emma's hand a little tighter. "Yes. It was the first big case he worked when he joined the Marshal Service, it really bothered him that it was never closed. He used to come up here on vacation from time to time, he'd bring a box of files and spend hours upon hours in the library and in the records room at Town Hall."

"Tamara gave me something," Emma said after a brief silence. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. The wind tugged at it but with Emma holding firmly on one side Regina was able to make out the woman's name and a phone number. "Can you take this, please?"

"Take it?" She wasn't quite sure she understood, but she reached for the offered note. "What is it?"

Emma sighed. She hadn't lifted her head from the shoulder it was resting on, but she turned a little so she could speak more quietly and still be heard. "Keep it safe for me? It's burning a hole in my pocket and I... I'm afraid I'm going to throw it away and then regret it. I just can't right now."

"Who is she?" Regina asked, as she folded it and tucked it inside her wallet.

It took a little while for the blonde to answer. "She looked after me until I was three."

"Oh, wow."

She pushed away and sat up straight though her chin still tilted down. "Yeah I don't know if I want to talk to her."

"That's understandable, I suppose." She frowned. "Isn't she a criminal? I thought she left the country."

Emma shook her head. "More lies. My whole life is a lie." She sighed heavily. "Her husband was a criminal, she got into witness protection but my adoption wasn't finalised or whatever and... yeah. She moved on and got a whole new life and I got left behind and lost in the system."

A cool hand touched her face and turned downcast green eyes to face Regina. "Your past may be full of other people's secrets, but what you have now is true, Emma. You and I. Henry, Mulan, Ruby, Graham, your parents, my parents," she rolled her eyes a little and smiled, "love you. We all love you. We'll all be here for you, no matter what."

She leaned forward and pressed her lips firmly to Regina's, and tried to silence the doubting part of her brain.

A sharp vibration between them alerted Regina to the call she had been waiting for and she answered it quickly.

\---

"Graham, dear, can I get you a drink?" Cora asked as she sweetly smiled at a disappointed Mary-Margaret, who stood in the foyer with Henry while the rest of the adults in the Mills' house retreated to the study to hear the news."

"No, thank you, Ma'am. Still on duty," Graham graciously declined.

Cora poured a finger of scotch into four glasses and handed them out to her husband, Regina, and Emma. "So what can you tell us?"

The tall man wrung his hands, always slightly nervous in the older woman's presence. "I can't reveal much about an ongoing investigation, I'm afraid."

She perched on the front edge of the sofa and leaned across to pat Graham on the knee. "Yes, dear, please continue."

His eyes flicked across to Regina who stared at him just as intently as her mother, and he sucked in a breath of air. "Paul Gold is in the custody of the US Marshals Service and is currently en route to Portland for processing. He was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, although we all know that further charges are likely to follow."

"Specifically?" Cora pressed.

Graham leaned forward, his elbows rested on his knees. "Can't say."

"But if you had to guess?" Regina asked before her mother had the chance.

The Sheriff shot the younger brunette a look and sighed. "Based on the evidence, the State Coroner has ruled the death of Sidney Glass a homicide."

"State Coroner?" Cora questioned. "The autopsy wasn't done by Doc Petit?"

"No, State were involved because of Mr Glass' position with the Boston Police, and also because he was himself a suspect in a case back in Boston."

Emma pitched in on the next question. "Ruby's friend? Is that how he found us?"

"I don't know that, but yes, security footage appears to capture Mr Glass entering the workshop shortly after Mr Muridae and departing with a large wrench which is yet to be found. No one else enters the building until the person who found him unconscious."

"Graham," Henry ventured, "with the Marshals involved I would assume their focus would have been on certain suspicions and evidence pre-dating these latest offences."

Graham nodded, "Yes, sir. The Marshals' angle has always been the suspected corruption from the days of Mayor White." The two couples stared at him expectantly, and he let out a small groan as his eyes darted between Regina and the Mayor. "The search did reveal new documents," his eyes flicked to Emma, "that may assist in unravelling the mystery."

"Why did you look at me just then?" Emma asked with an uncertain waver. Regina heard and took her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"This..." he looked at Cora, "I should not be telling you all this. It can't leave this room. He has liver cirrhosis, seems like it's getting bad and," he glanced at Emma again, "it seems he was trying to gather together a nest egg to source a transplant. We don't think he intended to wait in the regular organ donation queue."

Emma stiffened. "Why do you keep looking at me? Is he coming after my liver?"

The Sheriff shook his head vigorously. "No, no, nothing like that." He hesitated, his face scrunched up in thought. "We think he was planning to visit you when we arrested him. He had documents with him, there was mention of a trust fund of some sort."

The blonde's eyebrows shot up toward her hairline. "A trust fund?"

Graham held his hands up. "I honestly don't know much about it, the Marshals and FinCEN have taken all that. All I know is there was a clause that signing would appoint him your nominated legal counsel and you grant him access to a trust account to withdraw the fee for his services and any other necessary deductions."

"I have a trust fund?" Emma shook her head in disbelief. "How much?"

"Probably nothing," Regina opened her mouth to argue but he gestured with his hand and she waited for him to continue. "Emma, it's already frozen and it was probably set up to hide illegal income and if so, it will likely be seized."

"How much?" She asked again, insistently this time.

His shoulders sagged and he swallowed. "Seventeen million."

There was silence in the room for quite a few moments until a mirthless laugh broke through it. It increased in volume and Emma slapped her thigh as she stood and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Regina watched her girlfriend leave and flinched at the slam. She turned back to Graham. "What were the documents he had, Graham? Why did he want to be her legal counsel?"

He held her gaze respectfully. "He had Henry's adoption paperwork."


	48. Chapter 48

When David he had jokingly mentioned his reluctance to ride his motorcycle back to Boston having just recovered from walking like a cowboy and Emma had offered to ride it back, she hadn't known it would be like this. But here she was, cruising down the open road, engine purring beneath her, and her girlfriend's arms holding onto her waist.

After rummaging through a storage box at the cabin, David had offered Kathryn's once-worn white and gold proper motorcycle leathers -- because of course she'd had to have the best of the best for the one ride she had taken when David bought the bike, before a car nearly clipped them and she refused to get back on it -- and just seeing Regina in them did things to Emma she couldn't explain in mixed company. 

_"I didn't know you could ride,"_ she had said in surprise.

_"I had a bike in Portland, it just wasn't practical to move across the country."_

That there had been a set of dirt-bike overalls of Peter's there as well had been a bonus, and they were just large enough for her as they'd been bought big enough for him to grow into. They made quite the odd couple atop the large road bike, but once that engine turned over and they rolled out of the driveway, neither of them cared about anything other than the freedom.

After another day in Storybrooke to answer questions from the Marshals, the State Police, the FinCEN agents, and curious locals, they had decided to return to Boston. Regina had re-enrolled Henry in Storybrooke Elementary, an express application for the Mayor's grandson, of course, and her father would take him to and from school until she returned. She knew she had to quit her job and go home, maybe just for now, maybe for good, but she wasn't going to give up the lease on the penthouse just yet. She just needed time to process everything that had happened, she needed her family, and she needed Marian.

She needed Emma too, but they hadn't discussed that yet. They both seemed to know that was a conversation to be had in Boston, where the reality of their situation would hit home, but where they both had their independence so as to easier evaluate their options without being swept up so much in past events and being in unfamiliar territory.

After almost three hours on the back of the bike, talking was the last thing Regina intended to do with Emma. The pillion seat, different to the horse-riding saddle she was more used to, also conveyed different movement sensations, and the gentle vibration of the 1200cc engine and her knees against the younger woman's hips had made her both love the ride and wish it were over.

And finally it was. They parked the bike on the street, unable to descend into the garage without their access cards, and she pressed the elevator button for the second floor. Since Mulan was basically living in Regina's spare room, the chances of Emma's apartment being unoccupied were much more favourable.

Emma had her pressed up against the door mouth kissing and licking the small area of her neck that she could access above the leather collar. She pushed apart the other woman's legs with her knee and pressed her hips forward while she fumbled the key in one hand and tried to resist the urge to drop the helmets she held in her other hand right here in the hallway. The door swung open and they stumbled inside, giggling and pawing at each other like horny teenagers.

She had just unzipped the overalls and slid a hand inside the warm fabric and under her shirt to touch hot skin when she sucked in a gasp of air as Emma picked her up and slammed her against the back of the now-closed door, her legs wrapped firmly around the taller woman's waist.

She frowned. "Emma," she breathed, "why does it smell like--" She opened her eyes and saw shocked brown eyes looking back at her from the kitchen. She gasped and pushed Emma back, awkwardly falling back to her feet and she instinctively tried to straighten her clothing, although given the fabric, it was largely unruffled. The same could not be said for her hair.

The blonde spun around to see what Regina had seen, already feeling a tinge of extra warmth in her cheeks at the thought of Mulan relaying the events to Marian and the way neither of them would ever let them forget it.

Only it wasn't Mulan.

She groaned and rolled her eyes. "I seriously need to get new locks." She tugged her arms out of the overalls and let the top fall, the pants still held up by the elasticated waist. "Regina, this is Bay. Bay, Regina."

Bay gulped and remained frozen in place. Regina cleared her throat. "Hello, Bay."

Emma sidled over to the youth. "What are you doing here?" As she got closer she smelled what had caught Regina's attention. "Why do you--" she began, before it hit her that he still wore the clothes she had seen him in on Monday, only he smelled pretty bad and his green hoodie had stains all over it. "Have you not been home?"

He slowly nodded, but as she approached she realised that despite his overall greasiness and odour, the dark smudge from the corner of his eye and reaching down under his eye wasn't dirt but a bruise, and there was still a slight swelling around a red mark at the corner of his mouth. She reached out for his chin and he flinched but didn't quite pull away far enough to avoid her. 

"What happened to you?" She asked and tilted his face to better catch the light. "Who did this to you?"

Regina walked up quickly behind Emma, and Bay cowered slightly but relaxed when he saw the concern in her face.

The boy licked his lips, exposing a cut just inside his lip where it must have caught his own tooth, and he backed away to where his backpack sat on the dining table. "I, umm, I came to give you this, but you weren't here." He pulled out her wallet and held it out for her. She took it and flicked through, all the cash gone and the credit card she had immediately cancelled, but everything else appeared to be inside. Regina peered over her shoulder and reached out to stroke her finger over the photo of herself and Henry, and she cast Emma an equally surprised and touched glance.

"Thanks, kid," Emma said with a smile. "Where did you get it?"

"I found them. Those boys. I asked them where they dumped it."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "And they told you, just like that?"

He shrugged. "Well, no. They called me a nark and shoved me around a bit, but eventually, yeah."

She pointed to his face. "They did this to you?"

He swallowed again, moved quickly across the room as a small mewling sound came from a blanket on the sofa. Wrapped in one of Emma's two towels was a tiny puppy, and Bay lifted it up and held it tenderly and somewhat protectively in his arms. "I found him in the dumpster where your wallet was," tears began to form in his big brown eyes, "someone put him and all his brothers and sisters in a plastic bag and left them there to die. He was the only one left."

Both women softened from their initial surprise.

"I'm sorry for breaking in," he says, and he has to know that the sorry sight of a bruised and beaten kid with puppy-dog eyes and an actual eyes-barely-open puppy would work in his favour. "Your address was on your licence. I just wanted to return it to you because you were nice to me but you weren't here. I hung out in the stairwell but it got really cold and I... I found the spare key you keep in the lining of your wallet. I just wanted to keep him warm."

"Oh, kid," Emma said quietly.

Regina wandered into the kitchen, surveying the bowls of mashed up cereal and slurps of milk on the counter. "You've been trying to find something to feed him?" 

Bay nods again. "I can't get him to eat much, only the milk really."

"He's probably too young for much else, "Emma said and she bent down to look at him and peeled the towel back slightly. He was a tiny German Shepherd mix, by the looks of him, probably not even two weeks old. "But I know the perfect person who can help." She looked up at the nervous youth and smiled reassuringly.

"His name is Charlie," Bay smiled back.

She called and asked David to come around, and to bring supplies to care for the pup. Regina went upstairs to shower and change, while Emma and Bay set to work on cleaning up the apartment. 

Kathryn arrived with David, with Regina's car keys twirling around her finger. "One less thing for you two to worry about," she said with a warm smile, "we picked it up last night. Mulan has your car," she told Emma.

While David ran through the formula, bottles, teats and techniques with Bay and Peter in the living room, the women gathered in the kitchen to make tea, coffee and cocoa. Regina touched Kathryn on the arm. "Thank you for delivering my car."

Kathryn rubbed her upper arm. "It was the least I could do after all you've been through."

"Hey, Kathryn," Emma said quietly, "you're a lawyer, right? How do you change a contract that's already been signed?"

The brunette stiffened and her heart skipped a beat, but Kathryn replied without noticing. "What kind of contract?"

The younger blonde finally finished stirring the three cocoas and licked the spoon before dropping it in the sink. "Adoption." She turned to face her step-mother and leaned back against the counter with her arms crossed. "The douchebag who wrote mine up put in a clause that basically I could take Henry back any time I want to, and that's not right." She glanced over at Regina whose jaw was clenched and her eyes sad. "He's Regina's kid, I'll never take him away from her."

Her girlfriend blinked and swallowed. 

Kathryn raised an eyebrow. "That is an unusual clause. It should be easily rectified though, a simple amendment, signed and witnessed, waiving all your parental rights from that point forward."

She felt her heart clench at the thought of severing herself again from the child she had carried within her for nine months, and the boy she had come to know and love, but she knew what had been done wasn't fair, and she didn't want to have that kind of power over Regina, regardless of the fact she had no intention of using it. "Cool," she replied in an attempt to seem nonchalant, "can I give your office a call to line up an appointment to get that done next week?"

"Sure," Kathryn confirmed, though she noticed the forced light-heartedness as she watched the younger blonde pick up two cocoas in each hand and carry them out to the boys in the living room.

She reached for her own coffee but felt a hand on her arm again, and she turned to Regina expectantly. The brunette hesitated a moment, then asked quietly, "would this amendment... would a second-parent adoption still be possible?"

The lawyer smiled, much preferring to use her knowledge and experience to bring families together than to tear them apart. "Yes," she smiled, "it would still be possible."

Regina glanced across the large, open area. "He's my son," she said firmly, though barely above a whisper, "but he's her son too."

The family stayed for dinner, a hearty meal of Chinese take-out, deliciously greasy except for the steamed vegetables Regina had insisted upon. Surprisingly it was Bay who ate most of them. Emma had convinced him he needed to stay, to ensure Charlie remained warm and fed, but mostly because her internal lie detector pinged off the charts when he said he was going to go home. He seemed much happier once he'd eaten, and he and Peter had gotten along famously while playing Emma's outdated video games.

After David, Kathryn and Peter had left, Emma sidled over and sat next to Bay on the sofa where he was cradling a sleeping Charlie. "So, kid. You wanna leave the puppy cuddling to me while you go and take a shower? If you're lucky, Regina will even make up a bed for you out here while you're in there."

He blushed despite her attempt to make the suggestion less pointed, he knew she was still telling him he smelled. "Yeah, okay." He mumbled and ran off to the bathroom guiltily.

Emma sighed as the pup settled himself on her chest, his chin resting just above her heart. "Hey, hon?" she called. 

Regina pulled the plug out of the sink to let the soapy water drain and dried her hands on the tea-towel which she draped over her shoulder. "Yes, dear?" She asked as she walked into the living room.

"Could you please run upstairs and grab a towel for Bay? This little tyke here has one and I'm pretty sure the other is in the dirty laundry basket in my room." She scrunched her face up. "Maybe some sheets and stuff to make up a bed? And maybe you could grab some of my clothes for him to change into? I have some boxers and trackpants and sweaters and stuff that aren't too girly."

The brunette pursed her lips. "Anything else I can do for you, your majesty?"

"Do you think those cookies you baked on Sunday will still be any good?" Emma grinned cheekily, and Regina lightly smacked her over the back of the head with the tea-towel. 

"If you're lucky," she chuckled.

Emma grinned even harder. "I am _so_ lucky."

She returned a few minutes later, with bed linen and towels in a laundry basked and a container of cookies which she sat next to her girlfriend on the couch along with the bedding. She took one of the towels and the basket and walked into Emma's room for the change of clothes for Bay, then knocked lightly on the bathroom door. The shower was still running, so she pushed the door open.

A small hand smacked against the frosted glass of the shower screen followed by an urgent cry, "get out!"

She frowned, "It's only me, Bay. Just bringing you a towel and some fresh clothes." She sat them on the counter and began to gather up the dirty, smelly clothes from the floor.

"Get out!" His cry was more of a desperate plea this time, and she frowned as she fabric in her hand unravelled, and as she looked down to where it hung, she saw the briefs inside the bunched up pants. The decidedly feminine briefs, complete with evidence of a recent, untimely cycle of youth.

She snapped her mouth shut and gathered the rest of the clothing, and pulled the door closed behind her. Emma had heard the commotion and stood, puppy still held close, watching her from the end of the hall. "What was all that about?"

Regina walked toward her and held the basket out, showing Emma what she had seen, and watched as her green eyes widened with realisation.

They waited in the living room, speaking every now and then in hushed tones while Regina made up a bed on the sofa. After a long while, they heard the water turn off and a short time later the bathroom door cracked open. 

"C'mere, kid." Emma called out when he didn't appear at first, "Charlie misses you."

A wet head appeared, and Bay's nervousness was met with the softest, warmest expressions the pair could manage. He shuffled across the room in Emma's tracksuit, oversized on him, baggy all over. Emma patted the seat next to her, and lifted Charlie, still wrapped in a towel, onto Bay.

He cleared his throat. "Thanks."

"Bay," Regina said tentatively, "you were wearing a bandage. Are you hurt?"

Without looking away from Charlie, he shook his head. 

She licked her lips. "Do you bind with it?"

"Jeez, Regina," Emma murmured, "jump right in."

"It's nothing to be ashamed about, Emma," Regina scorned, although she knew Emma often preferred her direct approach as she tended to avoid things herself. "I'm merely asking because if so then I shall get a suitable alternative. Ace bandages can be dangerous if you bind too tightly with them, dear, but I can go tomorrow and buy you a proper compression shirt."

Bay looked at her bewilderedly, and nodded slightly, and in that moment they could see how the person they had assumed to be approximately a 13-year-old pre-pubescent boy could easily also be older.

"How do you know so much about this?" Emma asked, curious at this new side of Regina.

"When we began, well when started, whatever that was, I read an article on a lesbian website about lingerie. I was curious. It covered everything from the most feminine apparel to compression shirts. It was very thorough," she explained.

Bay shifted uncomfortably. 

"Bay," Regina leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, "have you not been home because your parents don't accept all of who you are?"

He gulped and his lip quivered, and Emma placed a hand on his back. "Bay, I've said it before and I'll say it again - I can tell you're a good kid. I know it's not safe out there, especially for girls," She frowned at herself, "or anyone who is seen to be different in some way."

With a sniffle he dropped his head down to avoid eye contact with either woman, and Regina moved from the other sofa to sit on the other side of Bay. She brushed a floppy wet curl off his forehead. "You can stay here, Bay. We want you to stay here. You and Charlie. You're safe here." 

She looked over at glistening green eyes as Emma placed her hand on his shoulder. She watched closely for discomfort she smoothed her hand across his back and pulled him towards her. He didn't resist as she tucked her chin on top of his head and wrapped her other arm around him, and tears fell from Regina's own eyes as she watched them. She couldn't ever imagine rejecting Henry, expecting him to fend for himself out on the streets, no matter what. She never wanted him to feel unloved or unwanted, and the same for this unusually considerate, polite child she just met tonight but felt a bond with she couldn't explain. She patted his leg while Emma held him, and he cried softly in her arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all still with me. I know it could seem a bit like developing a side character for the hell of it, but bear with me as this is all a part of my bigger picture for these characters. I'd also like to clarify that Bay is young, he's not a clear-cut trans character, he's a bit more genderqueer. I'm using male pronouns to identify him because that is how he intends to be perceived, and it'd be offensive to change identifiers based solely on his physical body.
> 
> In saying that, if I do write anything problematic in relation to Bay, please feel free to discuss in the comments. I hope that I am able to address other characters' misunderstandings or whatnot in a way that scorns them/identifies their behaviour or comments as a negative.
> 
> Also, just so ya know, [this](http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120501141001/onceuponatime/de/images/c/ca/Baelfire.png) is the Bay I imagine in this story.


	49. Chapter 49

"When do you plan on going back to Storybrooke?" She asked, fighting with her jeans as the bunched fabric briefly resisted being tugged down over her ankle, and she almost lost her balance.

Regina smiled watching her, though a seed of an ache in her chest sprouted at the thought of being apart from the woman she had so recently come to spend enough time with that she felt that being alone again would feel very, very foreign. In the short time that Emma had been in her life, her life had changed from a quiet little existence with just herself and Henry making their way through their lives, to a bustling home, filled with life and fun. She never wanted to go back, but she couldn't deny any longer that Henry was happiest in Storybrooke. That, aside from being with Emma, she too preferred her hometown. 

She turned away from the younger woman, allowing her a modicum privacy to change into her boxer shorts and singlet, despite previously having lovingly admired every inch of the woman whenever the opportunity allowed. "I need to collect a few things from the office and speak with the building manager regarding the lease, and probably an agent to arrange the sub-let. I imagine I will be able to book a moving company next week and be back there with Henry by the weekend." 

The blonde sat dejectedly on the edge of the bed, then sighed and climbed in under the covers, her long, bare legs regretfully disappearing from Regina's view. Regina felt her heart beat as she asked, "Will you come too?"

Green eyes looked up at her, the wrinkle across her forehead and down-turned corners of her mouth, she was an open book to the older woman. "You want me to?"

"Of course, dear," Regina smiled, then swallowed. "If you want to. I... I couldn't ask you to move on my account, but I do want to be with you."

Emma grinned. "I want to be with you too. Plus, it's not like I'm hella settled in Boston or anything. I don't even own furniture!"

A throaty chuckle rumbled out of Regina, relieved and warmed by the news. She smiled at her girlfriend as she shuffled down the bed and lay on her back, and resumed her quest.

After a few moments, Emma spoke. "What the hell am I going to do about Bay?" She sighed heavily and looked at the ceiling before her eyes were subconsciously drawn back to the dark-haired woman rummaging through her top dresser drawer. She pulled out a small, near-empty tube of moisturiser and sniffed it cautiously, before a pleasantly surprised expression washed over her face and she squirted some onto her hands and rubbed it in. She turned to face the bed, and Emma smiled again at how cute she looked wearing her flannel pyjama pants and white tank top.

Regina hadn't intended on wearing anything while in Emma's bedroom, not until the discovery of their surprise visitor, and she hadn't thought to bring her pyjamas down from her apartment earlier. "We," she said pointedly, "are going to provide Bay with food, warmth, shelter, and understanding tonight, and tomorrow we're going to figure out what _we_ can and will do next."

"I can't..." she swallowed, "the streets are no place for kids, Regina. I was way more streetwise than Bay is and even I ended up swept away by, pregnant to, and deserted by the first person I met after taking control of my destiny who I thought would give me a better life." Regina sat on the edge of the bed and Emma reached for her hand, and she breathed in the subtle lavender tones before kissing the back of it, then turning it over to kiss the palm. She chuckled. "Although, I guess in a really drawn out, convoluted way, it did work out that way."

Regina slipped her hand from Emma's and cupped her cheek. "Sweetheart, I don't love you _because_ you're Henry's mother. I love you because you're _you_." They held each other's gaze a moment, then Regina stood and flicked the light switch. Emma pulled back the covers and lifted her arm, and the shorter woman snuggled into her, head on her shoulder and arm around her waist. She smiled as Emma's arm wrapped around her and squeezed. "What is wonderful about you, dear, is that you're too kind to turn a blind eye to young Bay."

"I've been let down too many times to ever do that to someone else." 

They lay in silence for a few minutes. "I'd never even thought about the housing issues faced by non-gender-binary people when so many shelters and safe houses divide by gender."

"That's not even starting on religious organisations who make you feel unworthy of their assistance." Regina tightened her hold on the younger woman. "I dunno. Maybe that was tainted by my internalised homophobia."

The brunette lifted her chin, her eyes having adjusted to the dark enough now to be able to make out the profile of her girlfriend by the light of her annoyingly bright phone charger, plugged in on Emma's side of the bed. "What do you mean?"

"When you're in these group homes with heaps of other kids, waiting and hoping for someone to choose you to be theirs, you learn to try really hard to be what you think they want you to be. The perfect little child to join their perfect little family. And by the time you start to realise you're different, you wonder if they knew somehow, and you try harder and harder to hide it. To be normal. Perfect. But the parts of you that you squash down bend you out of shape, and funnily enough it was me having an angry, sullen moment that got me noticed by Granny. She always did like a challenge." 

Regina can see Emma's cheeks swell as she smiles at the memory, and she smiles too. "Your Richardsons."

"I'm kinda feeling a bit like the Richardsons tonight." She shifted her other arm from behind her head and rubbed it up Regina's bare arm, the skin cool from the chilly air. She pulled the comforter up over them both and resumed rubbing her arm. "Damn kids are sneaky about worming their way into your heart."

A cool hand slipped under her t-shirt and over warm skin to palm her breast, her chest rose as she inhaled and pressed into the contact. "Mmmhmm," Regina murmured, and kissed the collarbone in front of her through the thin cotton fabric and she relished the feel of Emma's nipple as it drew to a peak under her touch.

The blonde softly cleared her throat. "Uhm. My heart is a little higher than that," she teased.

Regina released a low chuckle and moved to straddle the other woman, and rolled her hips slowly. She leaned down and kissed the pale sternum, exposed by her hand's wandering ways. "Here?"

The woman on her back groaned, and her hands slid over firm thighs through flannel. "Nope, higher." 

A tongue left a wet trail as it traced a line up her ribcage, before it swirled and then disappeared between lips as they pressed down above her heart.

"Oh yeah, you got it."

Their mouths met with a needful kiss, a little too firm, all lips and teeth but too desperate to care. Splayed hands spread hot paths up a firm back, returning to dip long fingers under elasticated waistband, squeezing cheeks, and Emma canted her hips upwards as she pulled the woman towards her. Desires extinguished earlier by unexpected events quickly re-ignited.

\---

"It's like having a baby again," Regina murmured, and she tested the temperature of the milk on her wrist. She smiled at Emma, and her heart ached at the tinge of sadness in her eyes. "The difference being, this little guy will grow out of being this needy in a matter of weeks, it took Henry almost a year before he regularly slept through the night, and for a long while after that I still kept waking up out of habit."

"I'm so glad he had you. You're a great mom."

Regina kissed her cheek. "I'm so glad you gave me the opportunity to be one."

A key slid into the lock and Regina turned as the door opened behind her. Mulan stepped into the unusually warm apartment. "Here you are!"

Regina held her finger up to her lips to indicate she should keep her voice down. "Good morning," she whispered. She stepped to the side to reveal Emma behind her, a small puppy in one arm and a miniature baby bottle in the other. The young brunette raised her eyebrows, quietly closed the door, and after toeing off her sneakers behind it she padded over to the couple. 

"Good morning," she whispered back, "and who are you, little fella?"

"This is Charlie," Emma said with a smile, despite her frustration at trying to remember the correct hold that David had shown them to help the pup eat, "and that's Bay," she said, and tipped her head in the direction of the blanket-clad lump on the couch. Only a tuft of brown hair poked out, and there was no sign of movement.

Mulan's eyebrows raised even higher. "Wow, when I got back this morning and you guys weren't home I'll admit I was a little worried about what I'd walk in on down here, but this was not at all what I expected."

Regina grinned and blushed slightly, the reason for asking Mulan to stay in the penthouse with Henry while the couple slept down in Emma's apartment a couple of times hadn't been spoken about between the three of them, although Marian had alluded to them in Storybrooke, and the older woman had wondered what exactly Mulan had told her.

"You got back this morning? Where have you been staying? Ruby's?" Regina hazarded a guess.

It was Mulan's turn for her cheeks to pinken and she subconsciously dipped her chin slightly. "Uhh, yeah."

Regina narrowed her eyes. "No you haven't."

The young woman ruffled her fingers through her long, dark hair and grinned, "Man, you're sharp." She pointed at the blonde with her thumb. "Here I was thinking this one was the only one with a built in lie-detector but I even can't get anything by you first thing in the morning. It isn't even light out yet!"

"Which begs the question, where were you creeping home from at this hour?" Emma prodded.

She shrugged away from the inquisitive pair and busied herself making tea for three. "Oh, I've been at the hospital off and on for the past couple of days with Ruby. One of her and Billy's mutual friends lives near the hospital and was going to walk home late last night. I just walked her home then we got talking and I ended up crashing there."

Emma smiled knowingly. "What's her name?"

Her friend rolled her eyes, but not before both other women caught the sparkle in them. "Shannon Li." She cleared her throat to try to disguise the slightly excitable tone she'd accidentally said the girl's name in. "So what's with the pup and the kid on the couch?"

The blonde placed the almost empty bottle on the counter and adjusted her hold on the furry little thing. "Bay found the boys who stole my wallet and got beaten up trying to find out where they ditched it. He found this little guy," she rubbed her fingers in circles on his soft little forehead, "in the dumpster, and used my spare key to get in here. Which you would know if you'd answered your phone last night."

Mulan grinned and shrugged one shoulder. "I was busy."

"I bet you were," Emma grinned in reply, and Regina snickered. 

"Ruby didn't answer me either."

The younger woman's face dropped. "Yeah, she's barely left the hospital, her phone went flat yesterday afternoon. Granny was on her way to pick her up when I left, so you should be able to call her this morning."

"How is Billy doing?" Regina asked, thinking of the handsome young man, the stranger who had willingly helped her out in the whirlwind of confusion that was her life only a few days earlier, and been hurt so seriously in the process. She felt a chill as guilt swirled inside her, and she swallowed as she tried to remind herself of what everyone had been telling her lately, that none of this was her fault. Still, she couldn't help but feel that it was, in a way, because of her.

"If he continued to stabilize, the doctors were going to try to bring him out of the induced coma this morning." She poured the water into the teapot and spun to face them excitedly. "Oh! His brother was there last night! You'll never guess--" She was distracted by movement on the sofa, and a bleary face popped up over the arm. "Oh, whoops," she muttered, then waved. "Hey. I'm Mulan. Sorry I woke you. You want tea?"

Bay rubbed his eyes and sat up, pulling the blanket close. "Coffee?"

"You're a bit young for coffee," Regina said, automatically defaulting to a mom voice, "how about a cocoa?"

The kid looked extra grumpy, although sleep did that to most teenagers. "I'm sixteen."

"Bullshit!" Mulan grinned, "But nice try, kid."

Emma chuckled. "Actually he is." She nudged Regina. "How about a compromise. Mocha?"

Regina sighed. "Fine," she said, and began to make the drink.

Mulan followed Emma as she carried the sleepy puppy over to his human, and flopped down on the armchair as the handover was made. "You're sixteen?" She asked skeptically. "I'm gonna need to see some ID to believe that. A real one, not one you stole."

Bay stared at Mulan, then glanced at Emma, who smiled reassuringly. "She's just joking around, she's cool." Mulan frowned in confusion over the exchange. "She kinda lives with us too. Temporarily." She looked at her friend. "Well, it was supposed to be temporary," she teased.

The youngster's eyes flitted around the small apartment, and Emma picked up on his train of thought. "Oh, not here. Upstairs. We all kind of... well, yeah. Regina has a spare room and I don't. Anyway, like I said, she's cool. You can tell her if you want to."

Regina joined them in the living area with a mocha in one hand and her tea in the other. She sat on the coffee table facing Emma and Bay. "Sweetheart," she said to her girlfriend, and placed a hand on her knee, "stop."

"What?" Emma asked.

The brunette squeezed slightly before turning to a bemused Mulan. "Would you give us a moment please, dear?"

Mulan placed her mug on the side table. "Sure. I need to go for a slash anyway. Call out when I'm allowed to return." She walked off, and Regina smiled as the woman began unbuttoning her tight jeans before she'd even exited the room. 

"Honey, we both know Mulan would be perfectly fine with and accepting of Bay," she smiled at the boy who looked a lot more alert than a few minutes ago, "however it is up to Bay to decide who to tell and when."

Emma tensed. "I just meant it was okay if he wanted to, like you said, she'd be fine with it."

"I know, dear. No one is owed any explanation, and we could have let Bay know in private that he'd be safe telling Mulan," she said softly and squeezed Emma's knee. "You just put Bay on the spot a bit, dear. Imagine if someone who knew you were bi had told you when you were Bay's age in front of one of their friends, someone they just met, that you could tell them your secret."

"I didn't mean to," she defended. The two women eyed each other for a moment of tense silence, and slowly Emma relaxed as she willed her defences to lower. "Sorry, Bay."

Bay held Charlie a little closer to him and looked up at Regina from his cocoon of blankets. She smiled warmly. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Regina frowned.

The youth averted his eyes. "People always fight because of me," he said softly. 

"We're not fighting, kid." Green eyes locked with brown to check she was correct.

"No, dear. We're not. Mulan has been Emma's best friend for a long time, they don't have any secrets and I think she just forgot for a moment how long it can take to build up that kind of trust with someone that you can tell them anything." She glanced up at her guilty-looking girlfriend.

"I don't know what to tell people." Bay rubbed Charlie's ears as he yawned on his lap. 

"You don't have to tell them anything if you don't want to," Regina reassured.

Bay's face scrunched. "No, I mean, I don't know what to say. I'm not anything. I don't even know what..." Fingers slipped into thick, shaggy hair and clenched, tugging on a clump. "I'm nothing."

Regina scooted forward and leaned closer. She reached out and lifted his gaze with her finger curled under the tip of his jaw, the pad of her thumb pressed to the dimple of his chin. "You're not nothing, Bay. You hear me? You're someone. You're important." 

Teeth dragged over chapped lips as he chewed on his lower lip. His voice was extra quiet and high pitched. "But you guys can say what you are. You're girls. You like girls. You can say for definite. I'm..." He trailed off. "I don't even know. My mom says I'm just rebelling against her because she always wanted me to be her pretty little princess. My mom's boyfriend says I'm a disgrace, my ex-best friend says I'm a freak and most people think I'm a boy, but nothing fits."

They heard the water of the shower turn on as Mulan decided to make good use of her time-out in the bathroom.

Emma reached for the small hand that clutched the blanket, and she felt it let go and rest limply in her own. "So tell us who Bay is."

The youth swallowed thickly and fixed eyes on the now sleeping puppy. "I'm... not sure. I don't really know what it means to be a boy or a girl. I don't know what either of them are supposed to feel like. But then when I cut my hair people started assuming I was a boy and... it was easier. They didn't think I was so weird for not acting more like a girl. I guess... I guess I don't really want to be either, but the world only sees one or the other. First people said I was a crappy girl because I liked climbing trees and wearing overalls and had no interest in make-up and dresses, then people told me I was a crappy boy because I'm short and weak and I cry sometimes."

Both women's hearts broke at the plight of young Bay. Emma seemed more mad than Regina. "People are gonna tell you who you are your whole life. You just gotta punch back and say, 'No, this is who I am.'" She placed an arm around his shoulder, and he leaned into her.

"And who you are is perfect, Bay," Regina added, patting a skinny knee. She wiped a tear from his cheek and angled his face to meet her gaze again. "You're exactly who you're meant to be and there is nothing wrong with you."

"So, Bay," Emma started, when they had all taken a moment to think and sit in comfortable silence. "You said people assume you're a boy. I don't want to just assume anything. How do you want us to refer to you? He or she? Something else?"

Bay shrugged. "I don't really care. People get angry either way."

"Angry?" Regina asked, her brow furrowed in concerned. "How so?"

"Well if they think I'm a boy and someone calls me she or her or whatever, they don't like that I don't look like what they think I am." Bay frowned. "Or that I'm not what I looked like. Or.. you know. But people think I'm a liar if I make them think I'm a boy when I'm not. When they find out..." A gulp. "I guess that's when they get more angry."

Emma worked to unclench her jaw. "Does one or the other feel more right for you, though?"

Bay's head shook non-committally. "They both feel wrong."

"I believe there are gender-neutral pronouns some people prefer to use, or singular 'they, them, their' if you prefer."

"That makes it more obvious that I'm different. I don't want to have to deal with that either." With a deep sigh, a decision was made. "I guess 'he' is what I'm used to now."

In the bathroom the hair dryer stopped, and Bay took a deep breath. "You should let her out now. But can you tell her?"

Regina raised her eyebrow. "You want us to?" He nodded.

Emma smiled and squeezed his shoulder. She turned and shouted, "Alright, you can come out now, Mu!"

A freshly washed face appeared and she grinned. "Dork, I came out years ago." She flopped back down on the chair and picked up her cup.

"Sorry to have banished you for a while, Mulan, but we have discussed what we needed to and just wanted to," Regina glanced at Bay to make sure he was okay, and he gave her the slightest of nods, "respond to your inquiry about Bay's youthful appearance and let you know that Bay is somewhere in the middle of the gender spectrum but would prefer, for now at least, that we use male pronouns."

"Oh," Mulan said quietly, and her eyes traced the kid's soft features and bare jawline for a few quiet moments, until he finally looked back at her and she smiled the warm and genuine smile that she used so sparingly, usually opting for a cheeky grin instead. "Okay." She sipped her almost cold tea and pulled a face. "Yuck. Anyone for a fresh cuppa?"


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omfg it's been so long! I'm so sorry! I kinda hit a hump in this story and I really just need to suck it up and write my way over it... so here goes. Sorry, again!

Regina lead the way into the store, holding a reluctant Bay's hand as he plodded behind. Her cheeks warmed as she entered the store at the shelf of realistic looking strap-ons and packers, many of which displayed in a way so as to show their functionality as a standing urinary device.

With wide eyes, Bay looked away, only to see a shelf of equally realistic silicone breast forms, lingerie, and padded hip and buttock panties on the other side of the room. He looked at the floor, following the high heels of Regina as she lead them to the counter.

A short, rounded, young man stood behind and smiled warmly at the woman, and at Bay, although he didn't see. "May I help you?"

"I hope so," Regina said, looking at his name tag. Byron. "We're looking for a quality binder."

Byron nodded slowly, scratched his somewhat patchy facial scruff, and looked at Bay who raised his eyes just enough to meet his gaze. "Sure, sure. Is there a particular type you are after?"

The boy glanced up at Regina, who could feel the clamminess of his hand in her own. She gave it a quick, reassuring squeeze. "It'll be Bay's first, so it might be best to try all of them on and see which one you like, right, Bay?"

Bay nodded and looked back at the floor.

Regina smiled at Byron, not quite as friendly as before. "I hope you're able to ascertain the correct fit. I realise it's purpose is compression, but I don't want Bay experiencing any ill-effects."

With a chuckle, Byron rounded the counter and gestured for the pair to follow him to a rack at the side. "Of course, ma'am. I'll make sure he's fitted properly. I can assure you I am very experienced at my job." He looked Bay up and down, then flicked through the rack, pulling out a few different sizes, colours, and styles. "Bay, is it? It's nice to meet you. Would you like to try these on? I can give you a hand, they can be a bit tricky until you're used to them."

Letting go of Regina's hand, Bay reached out and took the offered garments. With a pat on his shoulder, Byron gestured to the rear of the store where the changing rooms were. 

"Did you want me to come?" Regina asked.

"No, it's okay," Bay said over his shoulder. "Thanks, though."

Byron smiled at Regina as they entered the narrow corridor and she could hear Byron telling Bay all about compression shirts from behind the curtain. She wandered around the empty store and admired some of the lingerie, and glanced around before squeezing one of the silicone breasts, and with a raised eyebrow she smiled at the quite realistic feel as she ran her finger over the dusky pink nipple. 

She wandered back around to the other side while she waited, and again she looked around before more closely looking at the packers, and she scrunched her nose at the detail of the wrinkled testicles of one particular range. Toward the end of the shelf, she found noticed some phalluses, erect, with an unusual protrusion at the base. Her mouth formed a small 'o' as she realised it's purpose.

The sound of the curtain drawing back had her spinning around, a light blush on her cheeks. Bay smiled at her as he emerged, followed by Byron.

"Did you find one you liked?" She asked, and Bay grinned even wider.

"Yup."

Byron placed an empty hanger on the railing behind the counter along with the remaining compression tops. He had a price tag in his hand. "Bay's wearing the one he wants, I hope that's okay?"

Regina placed her arm around the shoulder of the boy, a few extra inches shorter than her now that she was wearing high heels. "Of course," she squeezed him close, "that's great."

The register beeped as Byron swiped the tag across the scanner. "That'll be--"

"Could we get another, please?" Byron raised an eyebrow, and Regina glanced down at a surprised Bay. "Well, what are you going to wear when that one is in the wash? Don't you want a different colour one as well?"

"You really don't need to, I mean, it's... just buying me one is more than you need to, honestly," Bay insisted.

Regina ruffled his shaggy hair. "It's fine, Bay. I don't want you to have to use ace bandages again even if it is just for laundry day."

A grumble loud enough to be heard by all three in the quiet store emanated from Bay's stomach. Regina raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? We had breakfast not even two hours ago." Bay's looked down, a smile on his lips but a tension crossed his face. She reached into her purse for a note and handed it to him. "God, you're so much like Emma. Go and get a bagel or something from next door, if you like. You can get me a skinny cap while you're there."

He grinned widely and took the money. "Thanks, Regina!"

Byron scanned the tag of the same sized binder in black and told Regina the total. "He told me what you and your girlfriend are doing for him. It's really great."

"It was my girlfriend's doing, mostly," Regina deflected, her heart warming again at the unfamiliar yet comfortable term.

"Well you're the one here with him, that's really great too. My parents were pretty... well it wasn't easy. Bay is lucky to have you. Both of you."

Regina studied his earnest face, almost long enough to make the moment awkward. "Thank you," she said softly. She reached for her credit card, then hesitated. She glanced behind her to the closed door, then to her left. She quickly walked a few steps and then back to the counter. "I'll take this as well, please."

She met up with Bay outside the coffee shop next door, and she turned down his offer to carry the bag as the walked up the street to where they had parked the car. He frowned as he noticed the box-shaped object inside. "What's that?"

"Bay," she said curtly, "don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to."

The boy stumbled over his feet then trotted to catch up, his stride matching Regina's, and they walked in silence until the back was securely placed in the trunk. 

After stopping by a department store for a few more changes of clothes for Bay, they pulled up near Emma's workplace to collect her. They could only get a park a street away, so the pair walked side by side through the icy wind, which caught the door when they pushed it open and the noise startled the middle-aged, blonde receptionist.

"Sorry," Regina said, and she closed the door behind Bay.

The woman removed her hand from where she had clutched her chest. "It's alright, honey. It does that all the time. Trying to get one of these oafs to screw on a simple door closer apparatus is near impossible.

"The last one broke, Glen, you know that," a young, handsome blond man said, before ducking his head back down to his desk when she glared at him.

She smiled broadly back at their guests. "How can I help you, love?"

Regina glanced around the small office. "I'm looking for--"

"There you are!" Emma stuck her head out of the office at the front end of the room. She trotted out to meet them and gave Regina a kiss on the cheek and Bay a clap on the shoulder. "Glenda, this is Regina."

"Lovely to finally meet you, dear," the receptionist cooed. "This one didn't stop talking about you when she was here!"

"Glenda!" Emma scorned, while Regina grinned and Bay snickered.

"And you must be Henry," Glenda added, eyeing the boy up and down. "My, you're more grown up than I expected."

Emma squeezed his shoulder. "Nah, G, Henry is up in Maine at the moment. This is Bay."

"Hello," Bay smiled softly.

The blonde guided the pair into the office she had just emerged from. "Regina, Bay, this is is Abe."

The large man stood and leaned over his desk, and reached his giant hand out, but instead of shaking Regina's, he brought it to his mouth and kissed the back of it. "My, my," he said, "here I was trying to convince Emma to stay in Boston, but now I see I don't have a chance." A throaty laugh rumbled from the man and Bay would have sworn the pen-holder on his desk rattled. "Lovely to meet you, my queen."

"Jesus, Abe.." Emma muttered, and he smirked at her.

He held his hand out to Bay, and held tight when Bay's comparitively tiny hand was enveloped by it. "So you're the kid. There's no shame in making a mistake, kiddo," he narrowed his already quite narrow eyes, "as long as you learn from it."

"Abe!" Emma scolded, less afraid of the man now that she wasn't employed by him.

He bared his teeth in an innocent grin. "What?"

"Ease up!" She gritted through her teeth.

He gestured for them to sit before he sunk back down into his own chair. "Emma I saw you right after this little punk helped get you mugged."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Oh my god. For a start, I wasn't mugged, I was pickpocketed. Second, I was upset because I was worried about Regina, not because of Bay. I told you, he's living with us now, so give him a break."

He tapped his finger to his lips and looked at the brunette woman smirking at him and the shaky-looking kid ready to bolt from the chair next to her. He grinned. "I'm just yanking your chain, kid. If Emma here says you're alright, you're alright by me. You're one of us, understand?"

Bay looked up at Emma, perched on the corner of the desk since there were only two chairs in the small office, then at the large man grinning at him. He nodded, though he couldn't say he really did understand. 

"Either of you ever need anything, you call on me, you hear? Uncle Abe will take care of you." 

"Thank you," Regina said, somewhat stiffly, and looked at Emma.

Emma raised her eyebrows at the look. "Well, we'd better get going or we're going to be late." She hopped off the desk. "Thanks again, Abe, for everything." She reached out her hand and he gripped it with both of his.

"Anytime, Emma. Anytime." He stood again, towering over all three. "Take care in Maine, you three."

Emma and Regina walked either side of Bay down the quiet street. "What if I can't go to Maine?" Bay asked as they approached the Mercedes.

"Don't worry about that, Bay," Emma said, rubbing her hand up his back. "That's what we'll figure out in this meeting. It'll be okay."

Kathryn's office was immaculately decorated and every employee was dressed like Regina, perfect in a way that Emma and Bay both knew would cost a fortune, right down to the clerks in their cubicles within sight of the waiting area.

The older blonde greeted the women warmly with a kiss on the cheek, and she shook Bay's hand, despite having met him before.

"I know we arranged this meeting to talk about Henry, but I guess the more pressing issue at the moment is Bay. Am I right in thinking it's illegal to take a minor across state lines? I'm sure I've heard that somewhere," Emma rambled.

Kathryn laughed as they all took their seats. "Bay is over the age of fourteen, so can nominate a legal guardian. If your parents agree,"

"My mom," Bay interrupts, "I don't have a dad."

"If your mom agrees," Kathryn smiles at Bay, "it is quite a simple process to obtain guardianship. However if she disagrees, we would have to go to court."

"Is... is that expensive?" Bay asked hesitantly. 

Kathryn leaned forward and rested her elbows on the large, walnut desk, her fingers clasped and in front of her. "You're family, so no. I would represent you for free."

"No," Regina said firmly, "I am willing and able to pay for your services."

Pale blue eyes fixed on firm brown ones. "I became a lawyer to help people, and I got into family law to help families. I didn't realise how much time I would spend drafting pre-nups for rich men to trap their trophy wives into one-sided agreements that only suit them while the going is good, and fighting the best divorce lawyers in the city when the same breed of men are trying to screw their ex-wives-to-be out of every cent they're due." She smiled, her eyes wrinkling at the corners, "please believe me when I say that it would be an honour and a privilege if you would let me bring a family together for once, rather than divide one as equally or fairly as the law allows."

After a moment's silence and a glance at Emma, Regina conceded. "Very well. Thank you."

"How do we go about this?" Emma asked.

Kathryn sat up straight in her chair again and swiveled it to the side a little so as to better face Bay. "Well, that depends. Bay, could you please tell me a little more about your mother, and your family situation?"

Bay looked at her with a wrinkled brow and down-turned mouth. "Like what?"

"Can you start with the basics and then tell me a bit about why it is that you don't want to live with your mother?"

He rubbed his sweaty palms on his trousers and avoided eye contact with Emma and Regina on either side of him, and he focused instead on the view out the window behind the lawyer sitting at her desk. "Well, uhh, my mom..." There was a long pause, and he swallowed a few times. "I never knew my dad. Mom met him at some big fancy political party thing where she was working as a hostess after she moved here from England, and she never saw him again. She met my step-dad when I was six, and that was okay for a while. He didn't really care about me, but he made her happy."

Bay adjusted in his seat. "He had a boat, he used to take us sailing and that was okay, but about four years ago there was a storm and he was trying to take down the sail and his hand got caught in a pulley and it got all messed up, and he didn't have insurance so he had to sell the boat to pay for his medical bills. They had to amputate it in the end anyway and he got addicted to pain medication and then to other stuff. After a while, my mom started taking it too, and the people he hung out with were always at the house and they used to look at me funny, and my mom started telling me I had to stop being a tomboy and start being a lady, and she put me in dresses and things and they would all look at me funny." Bay dropped his chin down. "It was weird."

"I spent more time away after that, I went to my friend's house, and I'd stay for dinner and stay the night whenever I could. But her mom caught me sleeping in my friend's bed after she thought I had gone home and she made my mom and stepdad come and get me, and I got a hiding that night. He called me a queer and told me I was a freak, and when I got to school the next day my friend called me a freak too and it wasn't even like..." Bay looked up with pleading eyes, "I was just sleeping. It wasn't fair."

"I started skipping school because some kids were pushing me around, and the teachers were just looking at me, and I just didn't want to be there." Bay sighed heavily. "And I didn't want to be at home, so I hung out in the city and stuff. Usually I would sneak home really late once they had all passed out, or I would climb the tree onto the roof and get in my window so they wouldn't notice I was even there. They didn't care."

Regina reached out and slid her hand into Bay's, and Emma patted the middle of his back. "I mean, I don't think my mom would care."

"I'm really sorry to hear that, Bay," Kathryn said, leaning forward again. "I hope you know that if she doesn't, then that is truly her loss. I hope you also know that there are three people in this room who care a lot."

"I don't know why," he mumbled, briskly wiping a stray tear from his cheek. "I have nothing to offer."

"Bay!" Regina exclaimed, but his hand wrenched free of hers and the boy darted from the room. Emma was out of her seat in an instant. "Let me go," she said softly to Regina, then took off after him.

Kathryn walked around her desk and placed her hand in the middle of Regina's back, pulling her attention back from the open door. "It won't be easy for any of you," she said, "families never are. But it will be worth it." Regina sighed. "Have you talked to Emma about Henry?"

She shook her head. "No. We've had so much going on with Bay, and getting the apartment packed up..." she drifted off, and Kathryn waited out the silence. "I don't know how to... I know it's the right thing, that it's what I want, but I don't know how to broach the subject." She turned to look into pale blue eyes. "How do you ask someone you just started dating to be your child's co-parent?"

The lawyer smiled. "I keep forgetting you two are fairly new. It seems as though you have been together for much longer, you just fit so well together." She rubbed her hands up the outside of Regina's arms, which were crossed defensively over her chest. "I don't think there's any particular hurry on that, neither of you are going anywhere, right?"

Regina watched a flicker of emotion cross the older woman's face, and she pressed her lips together. "I suppose not. But if Bay's mother doesn't let him come with us to Maine..."

Kathryn cocked her head to the side slightly. "Alright, I'll play devil's advocate. What would happen?"

"Emma would stay in Boston." Regina said flatly, knowingly.

"And you?" The lawyer asked, eyebrow raised.

Regina's lips pressed together more tightly, and she stared back at the woman in front of her. Eventually she spoke. "I don't know."


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh you guys it's been so long. Sorry it's been such a long, desolate winter(spring) of my discontent these past *mumble* many months. I paused this to finish my SQBB fic then dropped everything when I had a family emergency, and then I couldn't find my mojo again. But! I would never leave this unfinished! This family means too much to me. I guess it's going to change tone a bit moving forward, but there will still be twists and turns and drama to be had.

The leaves left their droplets of dew on her, dampening her clothes as she pressed through them. The stifling heat was already causing her to be sweaty and uncomfortable, and the lack of a breeze prevented any possibility of the moisture cooling her down. Her long hair hung limply over her shoulders, but she picked up the pace as the sound of a crying baby became louder, though as much as she hunted through the thick jungle, she couldn't find it. She felt vines wrap around her, constricting her, and she looked down to see not vines but snakes, and she jolted awake.

She raised herself up on her elbows and glanced around the open space, and sighed lightly with relief when she realised where she was. Bay was sprawled out next to her, dead to the world, and the sheet was wrapped tightly around her. She untangled herself and placed her feet flat on the cool floor, then padded quietly around the bed to the blanket-lined plastic tub was, and lifted the hungry puppy into her arms. 

His wee face was fully black apart from two small ginger smudges above his bright brown eyes. They were fully open now, and the mild conjunctivitis he had suffered from a few days earlier was almost completely gone.

"Come on, little man. Let's get you some milk." Emma carried him out from the alcove under the mezzanine floor to the open-plan kitchen area, and she switched the stove on to warm the formula. She tried to be as quiet as she could, but with the pup under one arm, she fumbled the pot and it clanged against the element. 

With a grimace she looked across the darkened apartment and was relieved to see Bay still sleeping soundly, unaffected by the noise, however the creak of floorboards told her that her mother had heard.

Emma and Bay had been staying at Mary-Margaret's apartment since they had arrived in Storybrooke two days ago. In some ways Emma was relieved to find out that Cora was highly allergic to dogs, a trait shared by her albeit absent sister, but which also meant they couldn't make use of Zelena's basement accommodations in the Mills house, not even temporarily.

Mary-Margaret climbed down the ladder from the loft as quietly as she could. "Hey," she said, and sleepily wandered over to scratch the puppy under the chin.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Emma said, turning so that her mother could take the puppy from her arms.

"It's fine, I need to use the bathroom anyway." She glanced over to the still form in the spare bed. "Isn't this supposed to be Bay's job?" Her tone was teasing, her expression soft and warm. "Look at him, fast asleep. How's he doing?"

Emma shrugged. "He has his assessment at the high school tomorrow, I'd rather he get a good night's sleep." She smiled sadly. "He doesn't usually sleep very well. But he's doing okay, I think. He doesn't really want to talk about how easily his mom agreed to sign the guardianship papers, and I don't think he believes me or Regina when we say she did it because she knew it was best for him. If I don't believe it, though, I guess I can't expect him to." 

"I'll make sure he meets Astrid at school tomorrow." She noticed Emma's confused expression as she tried to recall if she knew the name. "The guidance counsellor. He knows he has you and Regina, and me, of course, but the more support the better, especially to help specifically with the reintroduction to a school environment."

Emma didn't mention the more specific help for Bay that she had been seeking, and had ended up finding after a referral from Archie Coscienza to a trans-teen support network. Instead, she busied herself pouring the warm milk into the bottle, and tested it on her wrist.

"You're a natural," Mary-Margaret commented with a glint in her eye.

The blonde rolled hers. "If I hear one peep out of you about more grandkids, I'm moving back to Oregon."

Her mother smiled and made the gesture of zipping her lips shut, but she watched fondly as Emma took the puppy back and cradled it while it hungrily sucked formula from the rubber teat before she disappeared to use the oddly-frosted-glass-walled bathroom.

Emma sat on the floor with Charlie after Mary-Margaret went back to bed, inside the caged-off area lined with puppy training pads. The rapidly fattening pup seemed more interested in playing, tugging at her fluffy socks with his razor-sharp little teeth, rather than emptying his bladder. 

She listened as the birds outside - lots of them, and what were they? Nesting on the fire escape? Why were there so many right outside the window? - began to chirp with the promise of dawn, and decided it wasn't going to be worth going back to sleep. She'd go for a run, as soon as the little terror did his business.

The sudoku game she was playing disappeared as Regina's face appeared on the screen of her phone, and she swiped to answer. "Hey," she whispered.

"Henry's gone," Regina said breathlessly.

Emma sat upright and Charlie cocked his head at her. "What?"

"I just, I woke up feeling like something was wrong and he's gone. I've searched the house. His sneakers and backpack are missing too."

There was a warm feeling on her foot and when she looked down, Charlie looked innocently back at her, the steady stream of pee flowing over her sock. "Fuck!" She whispered harshly. "Little shit! Not Henry," she blurted as soon as she heard Regina's sharp intake of breath. "Charlie. He just peed on me."

Regina "I would guess Henry will be at the castle, the lookout, or the docks. I'm just... can you help me look for him?"

Emma peeled her sock off, scowling at the tiny dog. "Yeah, yeah of course. I'll run past the docks and head to the castle if he's not there."

Regina sucked in a breath. "Okay. I'll try the lookout." She hung up, too concerned to be courteous.

Dropping her sodden sock on the puppy pad, Emma stepped over the grill and rinsed her foot in the bathtub. Charlie whined, and she carried him up the stairs. Mary-Margaret stirred as Emma tucked the puppy in next to her, and he wriggled in close to the drowsy woman. She opened her eyes when he licked her face.

"I'm going out for a run, I'll be back soon." She didn't have time to explain, nor did she really want to cause a fuss. She was sure Henry was nearby, that they'd find him in no time. She had a knack for finding people.

Emma changed quickly and ducked out into the brisk pre-dawn morning.

She was half-way to the docks when she realised it was probably equal distance to the docks and the castle at that point. She knew it would mean Regina would have to travel further if she was wrong and he was at the docks, but she just had a feeling. She turned left and headed towards the playground. 

As she approached, she could see a faint light coming from inside the castle, and she hoped it was Henry and not some homeless person's shelter, although Storybrooke didn't actually appear to have any homeless people. When she got closer, she could see his backpack and his shoe through the cut-out in the side wall. 

She quickly messaged Regina and slipped the phone back into her pocket.

[6:02] Castle.

"Hey, kid?" She said softly as she approached, and he drew his feet up to him as he huddled against the inside wall of the tower. He switched off his flashlight and shoved it and his book back into his bag. "Can I come in?"

"Shouldn't you be at home? With your new kid?"

Emma gulped at the anger in his voice, and slowed her approach. "Hen? You know I'd rather we were together, right? These living arrangements are just temporary because Cora is allergic to Charlie."

"Just leave me alone."

She leaned in and rested on her elbows. "Bay hasn't replaced you, sweetie. I promise. I'm sorry we've been so busy the past week or so that we haven't spent much time together. Are you hungry? How about we go to the Millhouse for breakfast. Just you, me, and your mom?"

There was nothing but silence within the castle, which Emma guessed was a good thing, since if he wasn't snarking back at her maybe he was at least considering the idea.

"Your mom was telling me there is a house for rent out near the river mouth. She said it's big enough for all of us, and it has a fenced yard for Charlie, and it's close enough for you and Bay to ride your bikes to school."

"So he's going to live with us?"

Emma floundered for a minute, feeling completely out of her depth. "Hen, I know all this has happened really fast, and you haven't really had much of a chance to get to know Bay, but--"

"I don't want to!"

"When I was a bit younger than Bay, I didn't have anyone who cared about me either. I had been in and out of foster homes for years, and I was sure, by that point, that no one would ever love me." She took a deep breath. "Then, when I had given up all hope, someone came into my life who changed everything. She was someone who cared, she tried to convince me I was worth caring for. Not that I believed her, at the time. Have you heard of the concept of paying it forward?"

Henry remained silent.

"It means you can't always repay the people who change your life, but if you then use that kindness that was shown to you to help someone else. It's like, good karma."

Still nothing. Emma scrambled up from the cold ground and poked her head into the castle. She heaved herself in through the entrance and shuffled over to sit next to Henry. "It's like, they say that when you grow up you should try to be the person you wish you had in your life when you were younger. For me, I needed someone who believed in me, who inspired hope that things could get better. And life brought me you, Henry. You made me realise when you were born that change wouldn't come easy, but if I tried hard enough, that I could be someone better. Someone that you might be able to be proud of. And when I met you again and you liked me, you made me believe in myself. That I could do this... this grown-up... thing. For you. Then life brought me Bay and I wouldn't be that person you could be proud of if I turned my back on him."

"It just feels like you're leaving. Again." His voice was high and tight.

She gathered him into her arms and she felt his skinny arms around her waist, his fingers balling her sweatshirt in his small fists. "I'm so sorry that I made you sad." She kissed the unruly bed hair on the top of his head. "I'm not leaving. I love you so much, Hen." 

With his face buried in her side his words were muffled but still audible. "But you are giving me up again."

Emma tensed. "What gave you that idea?"

"There are papers in Abuela's office that say you give up all your rights to me." 

She had to bite her tongue to stop herself from scolding him for snooping, although she was more angry at Cora and Regina for leaving the documents from Kathryn somewhere they could be found. "When I adopted you out, Henry, there was a problem with the paperwork. It meant that I could take you back at any time. But you know how much your mom loves, you, right? You mean the world to her, you're her everything. She has given you everything that I couldn't, and more. She's the best mom ever, and I could never take you away from her. I only want to make sure that she knows that I would never do that to her, or to you."

Regina appeared at the entrance to the small compartment of the structure. Her eyes were wet with unshed tears. "Henry, sweetie, that amendment to the adoption paperwork hasn't been signed yet." Emma looked at her curiously. "I don't really know what to do. I never, ever want to lose you, but I don't want to take away Emma's right to see you, or yours to see her. But in the eyes of the law it's, well, it makes things very uncertain." She placed her hands on the floor. "May I come in?"

When Henry nodded, she climbed in, and Emma reached for her hand as she scooched over to the other side of their son. Regina gave her a long look over the boy's head, so piercing that Emma felt she could read her innermost emotions about the subject, and she nervously licked her lips.

"I know things have been very difficult for you this year, Henry, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I have moved you twice, and all the trouble--"

"That wasn't your fault, Regina," Emma interjected.

"Yeah, Mom. Plus if we hadn't gone to Boston then we wouldn't have even met Ma."

"I don't even want to think about if I hadn't met you!" Emma exclaimed, and ruffled Henry's hair. He grinned and she kissed his cheek noisily. He giggled and pushed her away, so instead she leaned over him and pressed her forehead to Regina's temple.

Henry sighed heavily. "Mom, Emma promised me double choc pancakes at the cafe."

Emma snickered. 

"Oh did she now?"

"Yup." He slid out from between the women and dropped his backpack out the doorway onto the bark below. "And a cocoa with whipped cream." His soulful hazel eyes locked onto Emma's, still sad, but wise beyond his years, before he disappeared out into the dawn light.

"Everything okay?" Regina asked quietly as Emma turned and exited, feet first.

"Yeah. Bit of jealousy about Bay, but I'll fix it."

"We." Regina felt hands on her waist as she climbed out. "We will. Together." She turned and faced the blonde. "And you?"

Emma swallowed and smiled. "I'm fine." She reached out for Regina and they linked hands, fingers entwined, and followed Henry out into the misty morning just as the first rays of sunlight crept over the hill.


	52. Chapter 52

Hello to everyone, and sorry for the non-chapter! When I began writing this story, it was with great enthusiasm but very, very (very) little plotting and planning. I totally winged it, aaaaand ran out of air. In the 18 months or so since then I've learned so much, about so many things, including how to avoid basic writing mistakes (I made so many) and tropes and stereotypes, which I unknowingly used and now regret. Although I have ideas for where this story was to head, although it's totally meandering and anticlimatic... I actually want to take it down and tear it up... so I turn to you. My lovely readers who made it this far and are (hopefully) invested somewhat in the outcome. I don't want to disappoint you and leave this hanging forever, but... I also feel it has run its course and needs to wrap up, and it being unresolved seems to be stopping me from moving on to writing other stories. So, what do you want? 

1) I could spitball the ongoing soap opera-type ideas I have in bulletpoint form and let your imaginations fill in the gaps?

2) I could write an awkward resolution in a single chapter?

3) I could write a chapter set in the future, looking back and tying up loose ends? (it's like a first attempt at a handwoven rug)

I'm sorry I'm not better at this, and I'll try harder in future, and thank you so much for going on this journey with me, I appreciate all your comments and kudos and encouragement along the way! So let me know what you think I should do in the comments!


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